Guwahati, Nov 18: Congress MP Rakibul Hussain on Monday alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma used the police and administration to get votes in favour of the BJP.
He said, “CM Himanta Biswa Sarma misused the power of state administration and police in the recently concluded by-elections to gain votes for his party. However, the people have understood the misrule by the BJP government and they have supported the Congress party in the elections.”
Hussain also claimed that Sarma will lose his Chief Minister’s position as the BJP is set to concede defeat in the next Assembly polls which is scheduled in 2026. “It is sure that the BJP will be ousted from power in the 2026 Assembly elections. Voters are fed up with this government and anti-people policies of Himanta Biswa Sarma. He will get a befitting reply in the EVMs in 2026. Congress will return to power in Assam,” he added.
Five Assembly constituencies — Dholai, Samaguri, Behali, Bongaigaon, and Sidli fell vacant after the incumbent legislators were elected to the Lok Sabha this year. The Dholai Assembly constituency is reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and the Sidli seat is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST).
Except in Samaguri, where Congress heavyweight Rakibul Hussain has been winning since 2001, the rest of the four seats are with the BJP-led alliance. The BJP has fielded candidates in three seats — Dholai, Samaguri and Behali. Diplu Ranjan Sarma contested in Samaguri while Diganta Ghatowar and Nihar Ranjan Das were fielded by the BJP in Behali and Dholai Assembly segments respectively.
BJP’s former cabinet minister Parimal Suklabaidya successfully contested in the Silchar Lok Sabha seat and his earlier Assembly seat Dholai got vacant. Another senior BJP leader Ranjit Dutta, who represented the Behali Assembly seat, was elected to the Lower House of the parliament.
Rakibul Hussain defeated the three-time AIUDF MP and party chief Badruddin Ajmal in the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat with a margin of more than 10 lakh votes reinforcing his status as a five-time legislator from Samuguri Assembly seat.
The ally of the BJP– Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) contested polls in the Bongaigaon Assembly constituency while United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) gave a ticket to Nirmal Kumar Brahma in Sidli seat, who is the current district president of the party in Chirang. The Samaguri Assembly constituency has witnessed sporadic pre-poll violence with supporters of the BJP and Congress clashing with each other on several occasions.
IANS