Guwahati, May 13: Asom Sanmilita Morcha (ASOM), an Opposition unity platform, comprising all major opposition parties in Assam barring Congress, has accused the BJP of misusing the government machinery to ensure victory in the recently-concluded panchayat elections in the state.
Expressing concern over the sweeping victory of the BJP, Morcha president and Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, and general secretary and Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi alleged that BJP used police to weaken Opposition candidates in many places and even blackmailed voters by threatening to withhold welfare schemes if votes were not cast in BJP’s favour.
This, they said, marked a new low in Assam’s electoral history.
The Opposition leaders also accused some BJP leaders and candidates of importing unethical political practices from states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, using money and muscle power to influence the outcome.
“By holding the democratic system hostage, BJP has falsely projected an image of widespread popularity in Assam,” they alleged in the statement.
The ASOM leaders further emphasised that to defeat the anti-democratic, anti-people BJP, there is no alternative but for all BJP and AIUDF-opposing parties in Assam to unite.
They argued that whenever BJP secured a sweeping victory in the past, it was because of the fragmentation of Opposition votes.
“Similarly, in this panchayat election, BJP capitalised on the divided Opposition,” they claimed.
The Opposition leaders further stressed that it would be imperative for all secular, democratic political parties to come together if an environment was to be created for defeating BJP in the 2026 Assembly elections.