HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 16: Gaurav Gogoi, the deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, accused the BJP of pushing for a biased Election Commission (EC) to manipulate the delimitation process in Assam for their own electoral advantage.
Gogoi expressed his concerns regarding the delimitation exercise currently under review by the Supreme Court. He criticised the EC for not waiting for the final court order and instead publishing the delimitation list. The last delimitation process in Assam occurred in 1976 based on the 1971 Census.
He asserted, “There is an ongoing case in the Supreme Court and the poll panel has been asked to come up with specific clarifications. However, it is unfortunate that instead of giving the explanations, they have published the delimitation list.” He further claimed that the delimitation list seems designed to favour the BJP and the AIUDF.
Gogoi raised concerns about a new Bill introduced that removes the Chief Justice of India from the panel for selecting election commissioners.
“The BJP wants to completely politicize the EC, remove any influence of the poll panel and the way the EC has acted, it is almost an insult to the highest court of the land,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi also stated that the delimitation process would not impact the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as the overall mood of the country favours the opposition bloc.
On a different note, Gogoi discussed the unrest in Manipur and the need to recover around 6,000 sophisticated arms and 6 lakh rounds of ammunition.
“These arms and ammunition, which were looted from the security forces, will be used against the common people. How can peace and normalcy return when there is no talk on reconciliation between the two sides?” he said.
Gogoi claimed dissatisfaction among both Meiteis and Kukis towards chief minister N Biren Singh’s performance.
“It is unfortunate that Home Minister Amit Shah completely supported the chief minister Biren Singh in Parliament,” Gogoi said, adding that it is the presence of the CM in the peace committees that has led to the failure of the peace talks.
Gogoi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not addressing certain issues, including alleged deficiencies in the Ayushman Bharat scheme and allegations of a “commission government” in Karnataka.
He concluded by highlighting the differences he perceives between the Congress and BJP, asserting that while Prime Minister Modi meets with industrialists, Rahul Gandhi engages with common people like vegetable vendors. He also commented on the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, stating that it was done because the BJP dislikes the Nehru-Gandhi family. (With inputs from PTI)
