BPF moves Supreme Court seeking stay on polling in Tamulpur

TAMULPUR: The Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) today moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay on polling in Tamulpur constituency after its candidate Rangja Khungur Basumatary defected to the BJP on April 1.

The development came two days ahead of the third phase of Assam assembly election, after BPF supremo Hagrama Mohilary moved the Election Commission of India on Friday seeking permission to change his party candidate for the Tamulpur seat.

Basumatary had announced his defection after the expiry of the date for withdrawal of nominations.

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Tamulpur will go to polls in the third phase on Tuesday.

“Since the candidate nominated by my party has changed his political allegiance barely a few days before polling through illegal inducements including bribery, he is no longer entitled to receive the votes under the BPF symbol,” Mohilary stated in his letter.

“… honourable commission is requested to consider permitting the BPF to immediately change its candidate from Tamulpur… and to allot the party symbol to a new candidate, so as not to deny voters…. the right and freedom to vote,” he stated.

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Mohilary also stated that the defection was a violation of the “core requirement of fairness in elections”.

The Congress has also moved the Assam chief electoral officer demanding countermanding of the election in Tamulpur over the same issue.