Amid rising tensions in Assam’s Samaguri Assembly constituency ahead of this week’s bypoll, the Election Commission (EC) has ordered the transfer of two senior police officers in response to recent violence in the area.
The transfers, affecting Nagaon’s Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime), Partha Pratim Saikia, and Kaliabor Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Rupjyoti Dutta, aim to stabilise the constituency, which has seen mounting clashes between BJP and Congress supporters, official sources confirmed on Monday.
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Jayanta Baruah and Shyamanta Sarma have been appointed as the new ASP (Crime) and SDPO, respectively, with immediate effect. Meanwhile, the BJP has filed a formal complaint with the EC against Congress MP Rakibul Hussain, demanding that he be barred from campaigning in Samaguri.
According to the ruling party, Hussain’s presence has allegedly incited violence in the area, jeopardising the fairness of the by-election. Assam Minister Bimal Bora echoed these claims, arguing that the election’s transparency is at risk if Hussain remains involved in the campaign.
The violence reportedly escalated on Saturday evening when BJP MLA Jitu Goswami claimed his vehicle came under attack, with stones thrown and gunshots fired, allegedly from a Congress election office. In a police complaint, Goswami accused Hussain and several Congress members of attempted murder, illegal firearm use, and inciting violence. The altercation left two BJP workers injured, according to Goswami, who named Hussain and 15 others in the report.
In a retaliatory incident on Sunday, Congress candidate Tanzil Hussain’s vehicle was allegedly attacked by BJP supporters in Udmari village, forcing him to abandon campaign efforts at a nearby tea garden. The Congress has since lodged complaints with the EC and police, underscoring the intensifying hostility in the constituency.
With Samaguri being a critical and demographically sensitive area, both parties are fiercely vying for the seat. Rakibul Hussain, who held the seat for 23 years before vacating it for his successful Lok Sabha bid earlier this year, is rallying for his son, Tanzil, the Congress candidate. Meanwhile, the BJP has fielded Diplu Ranjan Sharma, a prominent state leader, to challenge Congress’ hold.
As tensions rise, journalists covering the campaign have reportedly been injured during verbal and physical confrontations between supporters of both parties. The EC and local authorities are closely monitoring the situation to ensure a fair election process, but with continued allegations and violence, Samaguri remains on edge as polling day approaches.
