Assam: BJP and AGP want polls before Bihu; Congress demands free and fair polls

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, Senior Deputy Election Commissioners Maneesh Garg and Dr Pawan Kumar Sharma, Director General Ashish Goyal, Advisor N.N. Butolia, Director Bidyarani Konthoujam and others, held a meeting with recognised national and state political parties, District Election Officers and senior police officers of the state in Guwahati to take stock of poll preparedness for the upcoming Assembly election.

The full commission of the Election Commission of India is on a three-day Assam tour.

In the morning of the second day, the Commission held separate meetings with recognized national political parties, namely Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Assam, and Indian National Congress (Assam Pradesh Congress Committee), and state recognized parties, namely All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Asom Gana Parishad, Bodoland People’s Front, and United People’s Party Liberal. Anurag Goel, the Chief Electoral Officer, Assam, accompanied the commission at each discussion. The meeting with the political parties was followed by another review meeting of the commission with the Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspector General of Police, District Election Officers cum District Magistrates and Senior Superintendents of Police in the afternoon.

During the discussion today, the Congress party demanded a free and fair poll, while the BJP and AGP stressed organizing the election before Rongali Bihu. Four senior leaders of the BJP participated in the discussion.

Later, talking to the media, the Chief Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, said the BJP wanted the election to be held before Bihu.

Meanwhile, a four-member delegation from the Congress, led by MP Rakibul Hussain and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora, met with the full team of ECI.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ripun Bora said, “As per the direction of APCC President Gaurav Gogoi, a four-member delegation met the Commission. We placed the stand and suggestions of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and urged the Commission to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. ”.

He further informed that the delegation conveyed its apprehension that if the prevailing law-and-order situation under the BJP government in Assam continues, and if the police and administration are misused, it would be difficult to ensure a clean and impartial election.

“If the police do not function impartially, elections can never be fair,” Bora said, adding that the Commission assured them that once the election process formally begins and the administration comes under the direct control of the Election Commission, such incidents would not be allowed.

Speaking with reporters, Rakibul Hussain said, “The BJP wants elections to be concluded before Bihu. Otherwise, the people of Assam will remember Zubeen Garg on Bihu stages.”

Sunil Deka, the leader of the AGP, expressed the AGP’s desire for the election to take place prior to Bihu.

However, the AIUDF sought that the election be held after Bihu.

The Commission and other senior officials arrived in Assam yesterday for a three-day visit to take stock of various issues related to the General Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Assam, 2026, and to ensure a free and fair election in the state.

Tomorrow, on February 18, the Commission will hold discussions with the Nodal and Heads of enforcement agencies, the Chief Electoral Officer, the State Police Nodal Officer and the nodal officer of the CAPF. The commission will also hold discussions with the chief secretary, the director general of police, and other senior officers of the government of Assam. The commission will conclude its visit to Assam after addressing a press conference in the afternoon.

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