"I am being made a scapegoat," Karimganj MLA Siddique Ahmed says he did write, "ONE"; "Sold minority's trust for crores," Youth Congress

“I have been elected as an MLA multiple times and have participated in such votes on several occasions. Are you trying to tell me that I don’t know how to vote? I am being made a scapegoat for a coup against Congress candidate Ripun Bora. The coup was planned in Delhi and the party’s high commission is behind it, not me. I have cast my vote properly,” says South Karimganj MLA, Siddique Ahmed, who has been suspended by the Indian National Congress from primary membership.

Even if one wants to believe what Siddique Ahmed is saying, there is very little evidence to back the claims made by the Congress MLA and the former cabinet minister.

BJP’s Pabitra Margherita and its ally United People’s Party Liberal’s (UPPL) Rwngwra Narzary won the two seats. BJP candidate Pabitra Margherita secured 46 votes while its ally party UPPL’s candidate Rwngwra Narzary secured 44 votes. Congress candidate Ripun Bora secured 35 votes whereas 1 vote was canceled. This marks a historical low for the Congress in Assam as the party will have no Rajya Sabha MP from Assam for the first time.

It is not the defeat but the nature of the defeat for the Congress candidate is what makes this a historical low for the party. 126 voters (MLAs) of the state were to elect two Members of Parliament (MPs) for the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The ruling coalition fielded Pabitra Margherita of the BJP and Rwngwra Narzary of the UPPL. The Congress, AUIDF, CPI(M) and the Raijor Dal fielded Ripun Bora of the Congress.

The ruling coalition has 82 MLAs, the Opposition camp has 44 MLAs. Congress suspended two MLAs – Sashi Kanta Das and Sherman Ali. While Das made it public that he would vote for a ruling party candidate, Ali said he would vote for Ripun Bora. Minus Sashi Kanta Das, the opposition has 43 votes – Congress 26, CPI-M 1, Raijor Dal 1 and AIUDF 15. So, it was clear that for the ruling coalition to with both the seats it would need the support of either AIUDF MLAs or Congress legislators. They got direct and indirect support to ensure both their candidates win to take BJP to 100 in the upper house, something that has happened for the first time since 1988.

Bhupen Bora, the president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, suspended Siddique Ahmed moments after the voting process. He didn’t even wait for the results to be declared. He had claimed that AIUDF MLAs had reached an agreement with the chief minister to vote in favour of the coalition candidates. Responding to the claims, AIUDF MLA Karimuddin Barbhuiya said Congress has fixed the entire voting process and that is why, the agent was sent from Delhi ignoring local Congress workers. Another MLA Nizam Uddin said that it was all a game of “Maal”. He added, “Bosta Bhori Bhori Maal Ahise.”

Karimganj Youth Congress staged a protest against MLA South, Siddique Ahmed, and burnt his effigy. “He has not only sold the trust of Congress but he has sold the trust of minorities across the state for a few crores,” said protesting Youth Congress members. There are rumours that Siddique Ahmed got Rs 5 crores for wasting his votes however, these claims have no substantial evidence.