Violation of MCC in Silchar; Congress alleges BJP is trying to misguide electors by sticking misleading posters

Just a few hours before Silchar goes for poll, chaos breaks in the heart of the city. In various parts of Silchar Legislative Assembly, three individuals have been sticking posters. It is worth mentioning here that any sort of postering or campaigning after 6:00 pm, March 30, 2021 is a gross violation of the Election Commission of India’s Model Code of Conduct.

However, the content in the poster suggests a larger controversy. It has a giant image of Badaruddin Ajmal on one side. On the other end, there is an image of Rahul Gandhi with his hands joined, seemingly praying before Badaruddin Ajmal. At the centre, there is a tiny image of Tamal Kanti Banik, the Congress candidate in Silchar. It reads “AIUDF & Congress”.

The Congress office bearers have alleged that the BJP is trying to misguide the electors by sticking misleading posters on the walls. “We got the information that some postering is going on in Silchar. We started looking for them and saw that they are on the walls in most of the wards. Then we started searching for the ones who were sticking the bills. Eventually, we got hold of them at Church road,” said Kushal Dutta of Jubo Congress.

The auto-rickshaw that was stopped by the Congress workers had many such posters in it. There was a bucket full of adhesive too. When asked, who were they and on whose behalf were they sticking the bills, they revealed that general secretary of district BJP, Biplab Debnath of Haridashi Press gave them the posters and asked them to stick them.

According to them, they have pasted the posters in National Highway, Link Road, Malugram and were on their way to Tarapur. Adharnath Colony resident Rahul Debnath was driving the auto rickshaw while Lakhan Debnath and Biswajit Malakar, both residents of Malugram were sitting at the rear seat. “2000 posters were there in the auto rickshaw and all of them green in colour. It is clear that the BJP has got rattled and have stooped so low that they are trying to induce fear among electors by sticking misleading posters. BJP stands exposed in Silchar,” asserts a Congress spokesperson.

Congress has officially lodged a complaint to the election observer. The three detained by the Jubo Congress cadres have been handed over to Silchar Police. They are now in Silchar Sadar Police station and the officers are interrogating them. The police or election commission is yet to make a comment on the issue.

Cachar BJP’s election campaign, Abhrajit (Jhalak) Chakraborty responded on the allegations saying, “It is known to everyone that the Congress is in alliance with AIUDF and therefore they must be sticking their posters. If they are blaming the BJP for this, then I would like to state that the Congress is aware that they cannot win and therefore they are creating the ruckus.”