New Delhi: What can be called a growing curve of electoral violence unleashed on Opposition leaders during the Himanta Biswa Sarma regime in Assam, senior state Congress leader and member of Parliament from Nagaon, Pradyut Bordoloi, along with his party MLA Sibamoni Bora and party spokesperson Mohsin Khan, were injured on April 27 in an attack by unidentified assailants when they were on their way to attend a meeting for the upcoming panchayat polls.

Panchayat polls in all the 27 districts of Assam are set to take place in two phases – on May 2 and May 7. This is the first time the polls are taking place after the delimitation exercise of the assembly constituencies in the state. The counting of votes would take place on May 11.

As per media reports quoting Nagaon Police about the April 27 incident, Bordoloi along with the others, escaped with minor injuries but their vehicles were heavily damaged by iron rods and hockey sticks.

An official from the Dhing police station of the district told Deccan Herald that the incident took place at Upar-Dumdumia village when the senior Congress leader along with party workers were moving from one campaign meeting to another.

’10-12 masked miscreants in black dresses attacked convoy’ 

“After attending an election meeting at Balikatia, Bordoloi along with APCC spokesman Mohsin Khan and Bora were moving towards Jengoni village to attend another meeting. Around that time, a gang of 10-12 masked miscreants in black dresses intercepted the convoy at an isolated place and attacked them,” said the police officer.

Bordoloi later told reporters that he has filed an FIR at the Siliguri police outpost. Describing the situation, the MP said though the goons tried to attack them with sticks and rods but they got down from their vehicles and hid underneath their cars which protected them and they received only minor injuries.

Bordoloi called it a pre-planned attacked designed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and reminded reporters that a similar attack was carried out on another MP and senior state Congress leader Rakibul Hussain in Samaguri in Nagaon district during the assembly polls held in .

“Those attackers are still roaming free and police have done nothing,” he pointed out.

Stating that she has not seen such a brutal attack on her as a politician, MLA Sibamoni Bora told Deccan Herald, “This is the third attack on me after I became an MLA. The ruling BJP has taken politics to the lowest level in the state.”

The state Congress, in a statement, said that the attack on its party leaders were carried out by “BJP-backed culprits” and demanded an immediate judicial inquiry into the incident. As per a Times of India report, the party also expressed dismay over the apparent inaction of the election commission and accused the state election commissioner of failing to ensure a peaceful electoral environment despite3 appeals.

Later, chief minister Sarma said at a press meet that he has asked the state police to take appropriate action, while also adding that the incident occurred in a Congress stronghold and he “is puzzled as to what happened to them in their own stronghold.”

Congress accuses BJP govt of using police to harass candidates

In the run-up to these polls, the Opposition Congress has been alleging threats by police at the behest of the chief minister to their candidates. This past April 17, speaking to reporters in Guwahati, state party president Bhupen Borah said, “BJP is scared to face the elections as people are fed up of its misrule and are ready to give a reply in the panchayat polls. BJP fears an embarrassment ahead of the assembly elections next year. So the Himanta Biswa Sarma is using police to harass…our candidates and workers and forcing them to withdraw from the race.”

Bordoloi had then alleged that the husbands of their women candidates were being booked in false cases and “are being pressurised for withdrawal of candidatures of their wives” because of which he raised it with the state director general of police Harmeet Singh “two days ago but  no steps have been taken.”

In an unprecedented turn of things, after the final day of nomination withdrawal on April 18, the BJP and its allies pocketed unopposed as many as 37 zilla parishads ( BJP 35) and and 288 anchalik panchayat seats (BJP 259). As per election commission data, 15 independent candidates won anchalik parishad seats unopposed too. While the Congress secured nine seats uncontested, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) got one seat unopposed.

Assam has a total of 21,920 gram panchayats, 2,192 anchalik parishads, and 397 zilla parishad and 288 anchalik panchayat seats. Winning the panchayat polls for the BJP and its allies is crucial as the state is set for the Bodoland Council polls and the assembly elections slated for the next year. The electoral rolls include 1.8 crore voters.

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