Leader of the opposition in Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia, based on a TV news channel footage which was aired on Friday, has complained to the State Election Commissioner of gross violation of the model code of conduct by State Cabinet minister Chandra Mohan Patowary at an election rally.
The TV channel Pratidin Time showed Patowary at an election rally telling the crowd that the Central and state governments would stop releasing development funds in case the public did not vote for the BJP in the ongoing Panchayat elections.
“This sort of statement made in public is tantamount to coercion and blackmailing of the electorates and makes a mockery of the right to exercise ones franchise without fear of punishment from the regime in power,” Saikia stated in his letter.
He further said that Patowary had blatantly violated Provision 4 of the Model Code of Conduct in as much as his threat to stop allocation of funds for development working specific areas in case of electoral defeat is a glaring example of “intimidation of voters.”
As such, Saikia urged the election commissioner to take strict action against Patowary for the said breach of the Model Code of Conduct and do his duty in this regard without fear or favour.