President of Assam Congress says the state unit of the party is keen to disqualify five legislator
Assam state unit of Congress will move the court to seek disqualification of at least five party MLAs who have openly supported BJP or other party candidates in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. However, they did not leave the Congress to avoid anti-defection.
Bhupen Borah, President of Assam Congress said that the state unit of the party is keen to disqualify five legislators.
The state unit of the Congress party has already appealed to the Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly to disqualify these five legislators.
Borah told IANS: “We are looking for a decision to come from the Speaker of the Assembly. If he refuses to take any action against the five MLAs, we will approach the Court.”
Many believe that two Congress legislators, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Sifdeque Ahmed, who extensively campaigned for BJP are the reason behind the ruling party’s surprising performance in the Karimganj Lok Sabha seat in the state.
Purkayastha, a three-time MLA, was seen as a critic of the BJP-led government in the last few years. However, in February this year, he announced his support for the BJP government for development work, without resigning from the Congress party.
Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha could attract a section of Muslim votes in the BJP’s favour, according to poll watchers.
Ahmed is another Congress legislator who worked for BJP in these Lok Sabha polls. Once a minister in the Tarun Gogoi-led government, he was seen as a prominent Muslim face for the Congress party.
Both Purkayastha and Ahmed’s roles cost Congress the Karimganj Lok Sabha seat this time–a constituency that was considered a favourable one for the Opposition.
Two other MLAs Shahilanta Das and Basanta Das also supported BJP candidates in their home constituencies while Sherman Ali Ahmed, who was suspended from Congress, worked on behalf of AIUDF.
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