Assam Cong Chief must contest panchayat polls with full strength: Minister

Guwahati, April 19 (IANS) Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, on Friday, took a jibe at the State Congress President Bhupen Borah as the latter accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of using fearmongering tactics for the upcoming panchayat polls.

Borah asserted that the BJP leaders have been trying to incite fear among opposition candidates and the ruling party has been forcing the Congress candidates to withdraw nominations.

Reacting to the allegations, Mallabaruah said, "Bhupen Borah always writes a script before every election and he keeps on passing the accusations towards others. It is his old habit. I would rather suggest him to contest the polls with full strength. Even it is better that if all opposition parties come together and fight unitedly against us. In politics, it is always better to have a strong opposition than a weak force."

Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has also accused that the "goons" of the BJP have been unleashing atrocities against the opposition candidates ahead of the upcoming panchayat polls.

Gogoi said, "The state administration is biased towards the BJP and they have not taken any action against the goons of the ruling party. State Congress president Bhupen Borah and MP Pradyut Bordoloi have raised this issue with the police; however, no action was taken against the BJP goons."

He also said that Congress workers will not be intimated and they will contest the polls against the BJP.

"We have a long history of contesting against the ruling dispensation and our party workers are adamant not to let down their guards in front of the intimidation and fearmongering tactics of the BJP," Gogoi added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Congress has only one agenda -- defame Assam. There have been 22,000 villages in the state and there may be one or two stray incidents which happened in some areas. The Congress party could have brought this to the notice of the administration and the state administration will definitely take proper action."

The CM reiterated that panchayat polls in the state will be conducted in a free and transparent manner.

"There will be free and fair elections. The image of Assam should not be tarnished and the Congress party always tries to do so. If some individual is harassing other person, a complaint must be lodged and we will take immediate action. But as of now, we do not have any such reports. No candidate has filed any compliant to the administration," he added.

The panchayat elections will be held in two phases in Assam -- May 2 and May 7.

--IANS

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