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India Gazette
13-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Congress alleges possible implementation of Maharashtra-Bihar style voter purge model in Assam by ECI at BJP's behest
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 13 (ANI): Expressing serious doubts over the neutrality of the Election Commission, the Congress party on Sunday raised several critical questions. As per a press statement, former MP Ripun Bora and AICC Media Coordinator for Assam, Charan Singh Sapra, jointly addressed a press conference and alleged that the Election Commission has become a puppet in the hands of the BJP and the Central government. Ripun Bora stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now using the Election Commission as a tool to maintain power, crafting a blueprint for electoral manipulation. He alleged that after Maharashtra and Bihar, the BJP is planning a similar conspiracy in Assam -- to delete names of Opposition voters, particularly Congress supporters, from the electoral rolls under the pretext of voter list revision before the 2026 Assam Assembly elections. National spokesperson of the Indian National Congress, Charan Singh Sapra, who was also present at the press conference, said that the Election Commission has now turned into a 'His Master's Voice.' Just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not held a single press conference in the last 11 years, the Election Commission, too, is following the same approach. Ahead of the Bihar elections, without even holding a press briefing, the EC has begun massive revision work of the electoral rolls, imposing authoritarian pressure on citizens. He stated that the Election Commission has started playing hide-and-seek with the public. Questioning the motives behind such steps, Sapra asked, 'Why did the Election Commission not hold consultations with various stakeholders before launching such a massive operation?' He further alleged that the Commission is now acting to keep Narendra Modi in power and that by ignoring public trust and constitutional norms, the EC is overstepping its mandate. 'The Commission is meant to be a neutral umpire, but it has now become a player itself -- playing for the ruling party,' he said. Ripun Bora further claimed that, similar to Maharashtra and Bihar, the BJP is using the Election Commission in Assam to delete the names of Congress supporters from the voters' list in the name of cleansing or 'revision'. Referring to the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections in November, Bora said that in order to avoid an anticipated defeat, the BJP has conspired to drop the names of opposition supporters like Congress and RJD from the voters' list under the so-called 'intensive revision' process. As per the EC's notification dated June 24, 2025, this intensive revision is scheduled from June 25 to July 26 across Bihar. Bora pointed out that this process could result in the exclusion of lakhs of voters, as many may not be able to submit documents in time during door-to-door enumeration. He also criticised the list of documents made mandatory under the BJP's directives, noting that Aadhaar card, Voter ID, and Ration card -- which are the most commonly held and government-issued documents -- are not even mentioned. In response, Congress and several opposition parties have already approached the Supreme Court, and on July 10, the court directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar, Voter ID, and Ration card as valid documents. Ripun Bora also cited the example of Maharashtra, where between the April-May 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the November Assembly elections, 47 lakh new voters were added within just six months. In 50 constituencies, over 50,000 voters were added per constituency. Investigations revealed that these additions were made with the organised inclusion of BJP supporters from neighbouring states to manipulate the outcome. He expressed concern that a similar scenario may unfold in Assam. He alleged that the BJP has started issuing notices to voters suspected as 'D-voters' or foreigners, many of whom are traditional Congress supporters, thereby attempting to strip them of their voting rights. During the upcoming Summary Revision, BJP's external operatives may use Form 7 to request deletion or relocation of Congress voters' names from the list, he feared. In light of these developments, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has already begun training Block Level Agents (BLAs) to vigilantly counter such conspiracies. The party also urged the Election Commission not to support the BJP's undemocratic attempts to manipulate the electoral process in Assam. (ANI)
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress alleges electoral roll manipulation possibility in Assam
Guwahati: The Congress has raised serious concerns about alleged voter list manipulation in Bihar, and has claimed that the state govt and election authorities are conspiring to remove Congress-supporting voters by marking them as 'D' voters (doubtful voters) in Assam. The party also alleged that during Assam's summary revision process, BJP is planning to remove specific voters through unfounded online complaints while attempting to add voters from adjacent states. At a press conference, former Assam PCC president Ripun Bora and AICC spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra alleged that the Election Commission (EC) has become a 'puppet' to the BJP and central govt. Bora accused BJP of utilising the EC to retain power. He alleged that following Maharashtra and Bihar, BJP is orchestrating a similar strategy in Assam to remove names of opposition voters, particularly Congress supporters, from electoral rolls during the revision of the voter list before the 2026 Assam Assembly polls. Charan Singh Sapra criticised EC's electoral roll revision in Bihar "without proper public briefing". He said EC has started playing hide-and-seek with the public. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Zunido no ouvido? Imploro as brasileiras que usem este truque. Receita Anti-Zumbido Undo Ripun Bora also cited the example of Maharashtra, where between the April-May 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the Nov Assembly elections, 47 lakh new voters were added within six months. Bora expressed concern that a similar scenario may unfold in Assam soon. He alleged that BJP has started issuing notices to voters suspected as "D-voters" or foreigners, many of whom are Congress supporters, thereby attempting to strip them of their voting rights. "During the upcoming Summary Revision, BJP's external operatives may use Form 7 to request deletion or relocation of Congress voters' names from the list," he said.
The Print
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Print
Cong conducting survey on economic hardship of Assam people ahead of assembly polls
'A study is going on related to the economic hardship of people in Assam and possible solutions to tackle this. Once published, it will also present a future roadmap for revenue generation for the government,' Sapra told PTI in an interview. All India Congress Committee national spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra also termed the 'double engine government', a phrase oft quoted by BJP leaders, as the 'trouble engine government' for Assam, accusing the ruling party of focusing 'only on polarisation'. Guwahati, May 18 (PTI) Opposition Congress is carrying out a study on the economic hardship faced by the people of Assam under the BJP-led government ahead of next year's assembly polls, and gearing up to submit the report within the next two months, according to a senior leader. He pointed his guns towards the beneficiary schemes in Assam, and claimed that the huge debt taken to offer these cash-driven programmes is a real concern for the state, especially for future governments. 'This is going to be a big issue in the coming period. The question is, will Assam be able to handle this huge loan? We will come out with the findings of the study in the next two months. We will give a comprehensive and consistent plan to the people of Assam,' said Sapra who has been appointed as the in-charge of the media wing for the state assembly polls. The average annual borrowings by the Assam government increased by nearly 78 per cent over three years from 2019-20, while growth has slowed down for GSDP and per capita income during the last fiscal compared to the preceding year, according to the state's Economic Survey report for 2024-25. 'The BJP calls it a double engine government. But in reality, it is a trouble engine government. Their only motto is to polarise people with lies and cheat the common man,' Sapra alleged. He claimed that all works of the BJP can be summarised in three Js — Jhuth (lies), Jumla (rhetoric) and Jugglery, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is 'an expert in it and he is doing it regularly'. 'The BJP stands for Bharatiya Jhuth Party, Bharatiya Jumla Party and Bharatiya Jugglery Party. Polarisation is their main plank, but we will have our action plan to counter them,' Sapra asserted. When asked about the Congress' strategy to fight the BJP-led NDA in the state's assembly election due next year, the national spokesperson said the Leader of the Opposition, state president, MPs, MLAs and others are fighting at the individual level against the ruling front. 'The need of the hour is to put up a combined and consistent effort to defeat the BJP in next year's assembly polls. The 10 years of governance here have created a lot of negativities. In Congress, everyone is concerned for Assam, and the central leadership is giving utmost importance to the state,' he added. Sapra said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has held meetings with senior leaders of the Assam unit and stressed that all must be united in carrying forward the party's ideology. 'All the senior leaders understood the message and are now working together. The Congress narrative should be hitting, and it should resonate with people's feelings. The main narrative is going to be corruption, which is affecting the daily life of the common man in Assam. 'In the coming 8-10 months, Congress will present a bigger issue, which will directly resonate with the people,' the opposition leader said without divulging details. When pointed out towards the BJP's accusation that Congress tickets were sold in the recently held panchayat elections in Assam, Sapra said corruption in ticket distribution of the opposition party is a 'false allegation'. 'It is a stage-managed accusation to carry out character assassination of our party. BJP is an expert in social media exploitation,' he added. PTI TR TR NN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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Business Standard
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Congress surveys economic hardship in Assam ahead of assembly polls
Opposition Congress is carrying out a study on the economic hardship faced by the people of Assam under the BJP-led government ahead of next year's assembly polls, and gearing up to submit the report within the next two months, according to a senior leader. All India Congress Committee national spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra also termed the 'double engine government', a phrase oft quoted by BJP leaders, as the 'trouble engine government' for Assam, accusing the ruling party of focusing "only on polarisation". "A study is going on related to the economic hardship of people in Assam and possible solutions to tackle this. Once published, it will also present a future roadmap for revenue generation for the government," Sapra told PTI in an interview. He pointed his guns towards the beneficiary schemes in Assam, and claimed that the huge debt taken to offer these cash-driven programmes is a real concern for the state, especially for future governments. "This is going to be a big issue in the coming period. The question is, will Assam be able to handle this huge loan? We will come out with the findings of the study in the next two months. We will give a comprehensive and consistent plan to the people of Assam," said Sapra who has been appointed as the in-charge of the media wing for the state assembly polls. The average annual borrowings by the Assam government increased by nearly 78 per cent over three years from 2019-20, while growth has slowed down for GSDP and per capita income during the last fiscal compared to the preceding year, according to the state's Economic Survey report for 2024-25. "The BJP calls it a double engine government. But in reality, it is a trouble engine government. Their only motto is to polarise people with lies and cheat the common man," Sapra alleged. He claimed that all works of the BJP can be summarised in three Js -- Jhuth (lies), Jumla (rhetoric) and Jugglery, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is "an expert in it and he is doing it regularly". "The BJP stands for Bharatiya Jhuth Party, Bharatiya Jumla Party and Bharatiya Jugglery Party. Polarisation is their main plank, but we will have our action plan to counter them," Sapra asserted. When asked about the Congress' strategy to fight the BJP-led NDA in the state's assembly election due next year, the national spokesperson said the Leader of the Opposition, state president, MPs, MLAs and others are fighting at the individual level against the ruling front. "The need of the hour is to put up a combined and consistent effort to defeat the BJP in next year's assembly polls. The 10 years of governance here have created a lot of negativities. In Congress, everyone is concerned for Assam, and the central leadership is giving utmost importance to the state," he added. Sapra said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has held meetings with senior leaders of the Assam unit and stressed that all must be united in carrying forward the party's ideology. "All the senior leaders understood the message and are now working together. The Congress narrative should be hitting, and it should resonate with people's feelings. The main narrative is going to be corruption, which is affecting the daily life of the common man in Assam. "In the coming 8-10 months, Congress will present a bigger issue, which will directly resonate with the people," the opposition leader said without divulging details. When pointed out towards the BJP's accusation that Congress tickets were sold in the recently held panchayat elections in Assam, Sapra said corruption in ticket distribution of the opposition party is a "false allegation". "It is a stage-managed accusation to carry out character assassination of our party. BJP is an expert in social media exploitation," he added.
The Hindu
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress surveys economic hardship of Assam people ahead of Assembly polls
Opposition Congress is carrying out a study on the economic hardship faced by the people of Assam under the BJP-led government ahead of next year's Assembly polls, and gearing up to submit the report within the next two months, according to a senior leader. All India Congress Committee national spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra also termed the 'double engine government', a phrase oft quoted by BJP leaders, as the 'trouble engine government' for Assam, accusing the ruling party of focusing "only on polarisation". "A study is going on related to the economic hardship of people in Assam and possible solutions to tackle this. Once published, it will also present a future roadmap for revenue generation for the government," Sapra told PTI in an interview. He pointed his guns towards the beneficiary schemes in Assam, and claimed that the huge debt taken to offer these cash-driven programmes is a real concern for the state, especially for future governments. Also Read | Overwhelmed by rural poll results, Assam CM sets target of 95 seats for NDA in 2026 Assembly elections "This is going to be a big issue in the coming period. The question is, will Assam be able to handle this huge loan? We will come out with the findings of the study in the next two months. We will give a comprehensive and consistent plan to the people of Assam," said Sapra who has been appointed as the in-charge of the media wing for the state assembly polls. The average annual borrowings by the Assam government increased by nearly 78 per cent over three years from 2019-20, while growth has slowed down for GSDP and per capita income during the last fiscal compared to the preceding year, according to the state's Economic Survey report for 2024-25. "The BJP calls it a double engine government. But in reality, it is a trouble engine government. Their only motto is to polarise people with lies and cheat the common man," Sapra alleged. He claimed that all works of the BJP can be summarised in three Js -- Jhuth (lies), Jumla (rhetoric) and Jugglery, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is "an expert in it and he is doing it regularly". "The BJP stands for Bharatiya Jhuth Party, Bharatiya Jumla Party and Bharatiya Jugglery Party. Polarisation is their main plank, but we will have our action plan to counter them," Sapra asserted. When asked about the Congress' strategy to fight the BJP-led NDA in the state's assembly election due next year, the national spokesperson said the Leader of the Opposition, state president, MPs, MLAs and others are fighting at the individual level against the ruling front. "The need of the hour is to put up a combined and consistent effort to defeat the BJP in next year's Assembly polls. The 10 years of governance here have created a lot of negativities. In Congress, everyone is concerned for Assam, and the central leadership is giving utmost importance to the State," he added. Mr. Sapra said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has held meetings with senior leaders of the Assam unit and stressed that all must be united in carrying forward the party's ideology. "All the senior leaders understood the message and are now working together. The Congress narrative should be hitting, and it should resonate with people's feelings. The main narrative is going to be corruption, which is affecting the daily life of the common man in Assam. "In the coming 8-10 months, Congress will present a bigger issue, which will directly resonate with the people," the opposition leader said without divulging details. When pointed out towards the BJP's accusation that Congress tickets were sold in the recently held panchayat elections in Assam, Mr. Sapra said corruption in ticket distribution of the opposition party is a "false allegation". "It is a stage-managed accusation to carry out character assassination of our party. BJP is an expert in social media exploitation," he added.
