Stepping up political pressure ahead of the assembly elections, the Congress-led Opposition bloc in Assam has lodged an FIR against state Bharatiya Janata Party President Dilip Saikia, accusing him of directing BJP MLAs to delete Opposition voters during the ongoing Special Revision of electoral rolls.
A delegation of leaders representing eight Opposition parties filed the complaint at the Dispur police station in Guwahati on Friday, alleging that Saikia, during a video conference held on January 4, asked legislators to ensure the removal of 5,000 to 10,000 voters in at least 60 assembly constituencies.
Assam has 126 seats and goes to the polls in March-April.
One of the leaders in the delegation said the FIR requests the police to secure the video recording of the meeting and investigate the alleged attempt to manipulate the rolls.
"We have urged the police to collect the footage and ensure that no one involved in any conspiracy of vote theft escapes accountability. This substantiates the charge of vote chori that our leadership has been raising," the leader said.
The team included senior figures from the Congress, Asom Jatiya Parishad, Raijor Dal and other alliance partners.
In November last year, the Congress joined hands with seven regional and Left parties to contest the elections jointly against the BJP-led coalition, which is seeking a third consecutive term.
After filing the FIR, the delegation also submitted a memorandum to Assam's chief electoral officer, calling for immediate intervention.
Asom Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the rolls.
"As the BJP is certain about losing power, they are resorting to illegal and unfair means of vote chori," Lurinjyoti Gogoi alleged.
"They want to delete names of indigenous voters and bring in their own supporters through this so-called Special Revision. But the people of Assam are alert and will thwart this conspiracy," he added.
The BJP dismissed the allegations. A party spokesperson described the charges as a politically motivated smear campaign by the Opposition.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier brushed aside the accusations, remarking that the Opposition was levelling charges even before the final electoral rolls were published.
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