STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Raijor Dal president and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on Wednesday alleged large-scale manipulation of electoral rolls in Assam, claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had planned deletions of voters’ names in as many as 60 Legislative Assembly constituencies (LACs.)
Addressing the media, Gogoi said he would approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) with a formal complaint, alleging that senior BJP leaders had discussed deleting voters’ names, particularly in constituencies perceived as unsupportive of the ruling party. He claimed that instructions were issued to complete the deletions by January 12.
Gogoi demanded that video conference (VC) footage involving State BJP president Dilip Saikia is immediately secured and preserved, asserting that it contains crucial evidence. He claimed to possess photographic proof related to the VC and said the BJP would have denied the meeting’s existence had he not produced evidence.
“I was present with a BJP leader and heard these discussions first-hand,” Gogoi said, adding that efforts were now underway to discredit his allegations.
The Raijor Dal leader further alleged that Dilip Saikia appeared unsettled during a press conference earlier in the day and claimed that Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma had reprimanded Saikia for making such remarks publicly.
Terming the issue a grave threat to democracy, Gogoi said he would move the court if the Election Commission fails to take appropriate action. He also demanded that the VC footage be made public, or at the very least preserved and not destroyed, calling it vital evidence in the matter.
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