"Congress motivated the agitation in Rongpur and harassment against me for political gain," Mihir Kanti Shome 

Today morning around 500 angry residents of Rongpur area launched a massive protest demanding their names to be kept in the Municipality voters’ draft. As per a Guwahati High Court order, certain areas that are currently considered as a part of the Municipality ward must be brought under Gram Panchayat. This decision impacts around 8000 Municipality voters currently living in Ward 5 and 6.

Knowing about the VIP road blockade, MLA of Udharbond Mihir Kanti Shome rushed to the spot. The BJP leader certainly did not receive a warm welcome instead he got abused by the agitating population present there. A lady launched a verbal assault against the MLA as he tried to explain it to them that this decision won’t impact them and he is there with them.

“I am in favour of the voters and the area remaining under the Silchar Municipality Board. My stand is the same as their’s, then why are they abusing and ill-treating me? Congress motivated the agitation in Rongpur and harassment against me for political gain before the Municipality elections,” said Mihir Kanti Shome while speaking with Barak Bulletin.

He added, “I got to know about this from the newspapers a couple of days back following which I called the SMB Chairman and Deputy Commissioner. We decided that we will meet on February 21, 2020, to discuss the matter and sort it out peacefully. This got leaked somehow and the Congress cadres rushed a protest today to create chaos. If it was a planned protest, they would have informed the administration about it as we all do before organising a planned event.”

Shome said today’s agitation was nothing but a platform to gain some easy political ground before the Municipality elections, “All of them who were leading the agitation today have aspirations of becoming a ward commissioner in the upcoming Municipality elections. High Court during Congress term in 2014, judged this must be converted to Gram Panchayat area, now the court has issued a show-cause notice asking why this has not been done yet. How is this BJP’s fault,” questioned Shome.

He opined that a few landlords who own significant property in Ward 5 and Ward 6 went to the court with an appeal to bring the zone under Gram Panchayat. “They did it to serve their interest as they otherwise need to pay a higher tax. Whatever it is, we will sit and discuss the matter and if needed we will add two more wards and make it 30 to serve the purpose. I reiterate, neither I nor BJP is in favour of removing any name from the Municipality voter draft.”

The demand committee members, on the other hand, are not happy by Mihir Kanti Shome’s “theory”. “He is an MLA, he is an integral part of the Municipality and he comes and says he does not have a clue about something happening in his own constituency. If that is true, forget being an MLA he does not deserves to remain in politics. He was playing a silent spectator’s role and our agitation today forced him to open his mouth,” said a senior member of the demand committee.

If the 8000 odd voters remain in the Municipality voters’ draft and cast their vote in the upcoming Municipality board elections, it is something we need to wait and watch.