By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati: After the results of Rajya Sabha for three seats were declared for Assam, the entire state has expressed anger and dissatisfaction at the action of certain MLAs for allegedly ‘betraying’ their party.
The nominees of the ruling Congress party and its alliance partner Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) won the three Rajya Sabha seats. The winners are Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhubneswar Kalita, Lok Sabha member from Sultanpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh Sanjay Singh and BPF leader Biswajit Daimary.
Assam CM Tarun Gogoi with the wining MPs in Guwahati.
Senior journalist Haidar Hussain also contested as an independent candidate for one seat with support of the opposition parties, including Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the BJP and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).
Several students’ and social organizations including All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) besides others who have been opposing the candidature of Sanjay Singh, supported Haidar Hussain.
AIUDF’s senior MLA Ataur Rahman Majharbhuiyan was slammed for his disappearance during the time of election. He went to Saudi Arabia to perform religious rituals leaving the opposition parties in tensed and worried. Besides, six other votes of the opposition were cancelled due to adopting the wrong way to cast the votes.
Bhubneswar Kalita and Sanjay Singh got 32 votes each, Biswajit Daimary polled 29 votes. The opposition- backed candidate Haidar Hussain could garner only 26 votes.
Assam Legislative Assembly has 126 Members of which 79 belong to Congress, 12 belong to BPF, 18 belong to AIUDF, five from BJP, nine from AGP, one from Trinamool Congress and there are two Independent candidates.
On the other hand AGP, BJP and All India AIUDF cried foul play by Congress. Within hours of declaration of the results, AGP suspended its legislator Padma Hazarika for 6 years after his vote was rejected on technical grounds, while AIUDF suspended Ataur Rahman Majharbhuiyan for an indefinite period for abstaining from voting.
“Majharbhuiyan has turned out to be the biggest betrayer for the people of the state. Even Allah will not forgive him for telling lie from the holy place Mecca,” AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal said.
AGP general secretary Durga Das Boro said the party’s steering committee has suspended Padma Hazarika for defying the party whip and helping Congress to win.
AASU, KMSS activists also burnt the effigies of Majharbhuiyan and Hazarika betraying their unity.
AASU activists burn effigies of Assam ministers for candidature of Sanjay Singh.
“It’s very unfortunate that the opposition MLAs have failed to bring victory for Haidar Hussain instead of Sanjay Singh who does not know anything of the state. I condemn the act of the MLAs to cast their votes in wrong manner and abstaining from the process,” said AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi extended his heartiest congratulations to Bhubaneswar Kalita, Sanjay Singh and Biswajit Diamary for being elected to the Rajya Sabha.
In a statement here, Chief Minister Gogoi hoped that the newly elected members would take up various issues concerning the people of Assam in proper perspectives on the floor of Parliament.