GUWAHATI: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has filed a written complaint with the Assam State Election Commission against Assam minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, accusing him of “threatening” voters and “violating” the election code of conduct.
APCC president, Ripun Bora in the letter to the commission on Saturday, alleged that the minister had in his speech at an election rally in his home constituency on Friday, threatened that “those who support Congress would be killed by hired goons and that government employees who vote for Congress in the panchayat elections would be transferred.”
Bora, in the letter, also alleged that the minister had without respecting the poll code of conduct at the rally further dared victorious gaon panchayat presidents and councillors from other political parties to carry out their functions given that there is a BJP-led government at the helm.
The APCC president further alleged that Patowary even claimed that “if people do not vote for BJP, there can be no development.”
“The minister further went on to say that the chief executive officer of the zila parishad or the block development officer could not dare to disobey if he asked them not to listen to the gaon panchayat president or councillor of other parties,” Bora, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, wrote in the letter to the commission.
Expressing grave concern at the behaviour of a responsible senior minister, the PCC chief urged the commission to take action against the minister in accordance with law for such blatant violation of election conduct and utter disrespect towards democratic principles for the “sake of being in power”.
