Election to 2 Rajya Sabha seats in Assam on Thursday was marked by excessive drama, with the Congress suspending its South Karimganj MLA for “violating the party whip”.
The ruling BJP-led coalition authorities fielded Pabitra Margherita (BJP) and Rwngra Narzary (UPPL) for the 2 seats, whereas former state Congress president Ripun Bora is looking for re-election because the joint candidate from the Opposition events’ within the lone seat they’re contesting.
While voting commenced from 9 am, and ended at 4 pm on Thursday, counting — which was to be held at 5 pm on the identical day — was delayed owing to the alleged cross-voting by two Congress candidates. As of 9 pm, the outcomes have been but to be declared.
In the 126-member Assam Assembly, the BJP has 63 MLAs, whereas its coalition companions AGP and UPPL have 9 and seven, respectively. In the Opposition are 27 MLAs from the Congress, 15 from AIUDF and one every from the CPI (M) and the regional Raijor Dal. The Opposition events had agreed to assist Congress’s Bora because the widespread candidate.
However, by Thursday night, it was evident that the Congress had misplaced at the least two votes. While South Karimganj MLA Siddique Ahmed was suspended for writing ‘ONE’ as a substitute of numeric 1 which led to the cancellation of his vote, one other MLA Shashi Kanta Das, who had voiced assist for the ruling occasion in December, overtly stated he had voted for the BJP candidate.
A press assertion from the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) stated that Siddique had “intentionally” violated the three line whip issued by Wajed Ali Choudhury, chief whip of the occasion. “This has been confirmed based on finding of AICC Secretary, co-incharge of APCC, Mr. Prithviraj Prabhakar Sathe as well as the designated observer of Congress candidate Mr Ripun Bora in RS election. In view of this violation, as a strict disciplinary action, Mr. Siddique Ahmed has been suspended from primary membership of the party with immediate effect” stated the assertion.
Out of the 27 legislators in Congress, one (Raha MLA Das) had overtly stated he would vote for the BJP candidate. In January, the Congress occasion had suspended him for “for repeatedly violating party discipline and indulging in anti-party activities”.
Ahead of the polls, Opposition events had accused one another, alleging that there might be cross-voting.
Congress had blamed the AIUDF for “selling” 5 of its MLAs to the BJP, and the AIUDF alleged that there have been some inner variations inside Congress on Bora’s choice because the candidate.
BJP MLA Pijush Hazarika Thursday stated that the developments mirrored the “lack on unity” among the many Opposition. “We are confident of winning both seats,” he stated.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
