Cong files FIR against Assam BJP chief on ‘vote chori’ accusation
Guwahati: Opposition parties in Assam, led by the Congress, on Friday filed an FIR against Dilip Saikia, state BJP president, at the Dispur Police Station here alleging “vote chori (vote theft)” through the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of the electoral rolls, and accused the ruling party of attempting to manipulate the voters’ list ahead of the forthcoming elections.
The FIR, submitted as part of a coordinated programme by Opposition parties, names the BJP and alleges that the Special Revision exercise is being carried out in collusion with the Election Commission of India to deliberately delete the names of genuine voters.
Opposition leaders warned that such actions pose a serious threat to democratic rights and demanded an immediate halt to the revision process, along with a transparent and impartial review of the electoral rolls.
Speaking to the media after filing the FIR, senior Congress leader and former MP Ripun Bora alleged that the exercise was part of a planned conspiracy. He said that all Opposition parties jointly submitted the FIR against Dilip Saikia, state BJP president citing a live video conference held on January 4.
According to Bora, during the meeting, Saikia allegedly instructed BJP MLAs and district presidents to identify between 5,000 and 10,000 voters in each constituency who were not BJP supporters. He claimed that the exercise was to be carried out across nearly 60 constituencies and that party leaders were asked to submit the lists by January 12, with a minister tasked to oversee the entire process.
“This exposes the BJP’s design to delete 5,000 to 10,000 voters from every constituency. This is exactly the concern that Rahul Gandhi has been raising across the country, and now it has surfaced in Assam as well,” Bora said.
The Congress leader also accused the Election Commission of maintaining silence despite the seriousness of the allegations.
“This is a grave offence. We have submitted the FIR demanding action as per the Election Commission’s rules and manuals. This is our democratic duty,” he added.
Opposition leaders warned that if immediate corrective steps were not taken, they would intensify their agitation through statewide protests and also pursue legal and constitutional remedies, accusing the BJP government of indulging in “anti-democratic and anti-constitutional activities”.