GUWAHATI

The Assam unit of the Congress party on Wednesday (April 16, 2025) filed a complaint with the State Election Commission, seeking action against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Digboi, Suren Phukan, for allegedly intimidating voters ahead of the two-phase panchayat elections in May.

Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia, also the Leader of the Opposition in the 126-member State Assembly, urged the poll panel to probe allegations that Mr. Phukan told voters in his constituency they would lose access to government welfare schemes if they did not vote for BJP candidates in the panchayat polls.

“I urge you to take action [against the BJP legislator] to ensure that democracy is alive,” Mr. Saikia said in a letter to the State Election Commission, pointing out that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had violated the model code of conduct by making a few announcements, including a grant of ₹1 crore to a religious organisation in western Assam’s Nalbari district.

The complaint was based on a video where Mr. Phukan allegedly linked government benefits to votes in the panchayat polls.

Mr. Phukan admitted to cautioning voters against an independent woman candidate but said the video clip did not show what he had said before and after the statement the Congress party had found objectionable. “I was referring to this candidate who won last time but was found siphoning money off a scheme meant for 71 families. I was telling the voters that they would not benefit if she were elected again,” he said.

About 1.8 crore voters — 90.71 lakh males, 89.65 lakh females, and 408 others — are expected to exercise their franchise across 25,007 polling stations in the two phases on May 2 and 7. The results will be announced on May 11.

Also Read | Congress has given up on panchayat polls: Assam CM

‘Miscarriage of justice’

Senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said party spokesperson Reetam Singh had become a victim of witch-hunting by the BJP-led government in Assam.

“Assam is witnessing a disturbing collapse of law and order — a police State where intimidation and miscarriage of justice have become the norm. Ordinary people are speaking up. I stand with the people of Assam,” he posted on social media platform X after visiting Mr. Singh in the Morigaon district jail on Wednesday.

Mr. Gogoi said the Congress spokesperson had been relentlessly targeted and implicated in one case after another.

Mr. Singh was first arrested on March 15 from his Guwahati residence by the Lakhimpur district police for a social media post enquiring about the status of cases registered against three senior BJP leaders, including two MLAs.

He was rearrested by the Morigaon district police on April 12 as he was being freed from judicial custody on bail in another case.