War of words between 2 MLAs: Democracy shows its teeth during Rajya Sabha election

March 31: The ugly face of Indian politics has once again come to the forefront centering the Rajya Sabha elections. Horse trading, cross voting and all sorts of allegations & counter- allegations came to surface during the voting for two Rajya Sabha seats in Assam. Already Congress has ssuspended its MLA Siddique Ahmed, of Karimganj South from the primary membership of Congress Party with immediate effect for violating party discipline. •

That’s not the end of the story. Centering the election for the two seats, Congress and AIUDF has been making allegations and counter- allegations against each other for siding with the ruling BJP. AIUDF MLA and the party’s General Secretary Karim Uddin Barbhuiya (Saju) from Sonai Constituency in Assam has alleged that many Congress MLA’s ignoring the party whip has cross voted and thereby helped the ruling BJP coalition to win the 2 Rajya Sabha seats during the elections which took place on Thursday.

Speaking with a television channel on Thursday evening, Karim Uddin Barbhuiya said, “There is enough photographic and CCTV evidence to prove that which persons were involved in procuring money from the Kahilipara flat of Manab Deka.” It needs mention here that Manab Deka is the BJP MLA from Lakhipur. Karim Uddin alleged MLA Akhil Gogoi of being involved in this money laundering issue centering the Rajya Sabha elections. He also said, “Akhil Gogoi’s history is that of a broker who collects money from the market and has won the election accidentally.”

Responding to this, MLA Akhil Gogoi said, “I am not scared of any broker (Dalal). I am Akhil Gogoi. Find out the details of the 14 generation of ancestors of my family and also that of Karim Uddin. You will know the truth. None has been born in Assam as yet who can look straight into my eyes and speak.” During the talk show, Karim Uddin immediately responded and said, “I do dare to speak so. I challenge Akhil Gogoi to sit before the lie detector and say that he has not received any money from Manab Deka recently in connection with Rajya Sabha polls.”

Both the MLA’s then started to call ‘Dalal’ (broker) to each other. However, MLA Manab Deka though agreed to the fact that he shares a good relationship with Akhil Gogoi, but refused the allegation that he has sent money for Akhil Gogoi from his flat at Kahilipara. he clearly stated that he does not stay at the Kahilipara flat, but instead resides at the MLA hostel.

In fact, the entire day, political leaders across the spectrum in Assam began to accuse each other of conspiracy and cross voting. Minister Pijush Hazarika, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said with confident that atleast 6 Congress MLA’s have helped BJP by helping them during the Rajya Sabha vote on Thursday. Minister Pijush Hazarika while speaking toa news channel said, “I was the party agent during the Rajya Sabha poll. Around 6 Congress MLA’s have indicated by nodding their head just after voting, which was an indication of voting in favour of BJP.”

Whatever may have been the political debate, but this is a fact that the new generation instead of being interested in parliamentary politics, would drift seeing the way the democracy is functioning in our country.