BJP, ally win both RS seats from Assam

Late Thursday night, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted: “We won both the Rajya Sabha seats from Assam (one bay the BJP and other by UPPL, our partner) by a huge margin of 11 and 9 votes respectively.”

The ruling BJP-led coalition government had fielded Pabitra Margherita (BJP) and Rwngra Narzary (UPPL), both of whom won. Former state Congress president Ripun Bora lost the lone seat the party was contesting.

Despite the Opposition fielding a common candidate — Congress’s Bora — the days leading up to voting had witnessed the Congress and the AIUDF levelling allegations of cross-voting against each other.

While this high drama delayed the results, it was evident by early Thursday afternoon that the Opposition was on the back foot: While South Karimganj MLA Siddique Ahmed’s vote was canceled for writing ‘ONE’ instead of numeric 1, Raha MLA Shashi Kanta Das, extended support to the BJP.

The former was suspended from the party. A press statement from the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) said that Siddique had “intentionally” violated the direction of Wajed Ali Choudhury, the chief whip of the party. “This has been confirmed based on finding of AICC Secretary, co-incharge of APCC, Mr. Prithviraj Prabhakar Sathe as well as the designated observer of Congress candidate Mr Ripun Bora RS election. In view of this violation, as a strict disciplinary action, Mr. Siddique Ahmed has been suspended from primary membership of the party with immediate effect” said the statement.

BJP MLA Pijush Hazarika Thursday said that the developments reflected the “lack on unity” among the Opposition.

In the 126-member Assam Assembly, the BJP has 63 MLAs, while its coalition partners AGP and UPPL have 9 and 7, respectively. In the Opposition are 27 MLAs from the Congress, 15 from AIUDF and one each from the CPI (M) and the regional Raijor Dal.