অসমৰ ৭০ শতাংশ মানুহে হিমন্ত বিশ্ব শৰ্মাক মুখ্যমন্ত্ৰী হিচাপে নিবিচাৰেঃ প্ৰদ্যুৎ বৰদলৈ

▪️ Important press conference by MP Pradyut Bordoloi at Rajiv Bhavan
▪️ 70 per cent of the people of Assam do not want Himanta Biswa Sarma as Chief Minister
▪️ BJP collects funds through “goonda tax” and syndicates
▪️ Congress runs the party through contributions from lakhs of workers

Guwahati, January 5: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) collects money through goonda tax and syndicates, whereas the Congress has been running the party through contributions from lakhs of its workers. It has therefore been a long-standing tradition of the Congress to collect an application fee from aspirants seeking party tickets during elections. This system was in place even when Himanta Biswa Sarma himself contested elections as a Congress candidate, and the same practice continues today.

Responding to the remarks made by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the media regarding the fixing of an application fee of ₹50,000 for Congress ticket aspirants, Nagaon Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi said this while addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhavan in Guwahati today. Replying to a journalist’s question, Bordoloi took a dig at the Chief Minister and said that people of Assam no longer give any importance to such baseless and incoherent statements made by him.

Bordoloi said, “Unlike the BJP, the Congress does not have endless syndicate money. They sit on mountains of money generated through syndicates. Today, lakhs of Congress workers are running the party by contributing from their own pockets. From earlier times, whenever responsible candidates seek Congress tickets, an application fee is taken. This has been a long-standing practice.” He added that this money is earned through honest means and is used to meet election-related expenses.

Attacking the BJP, Bordoloi alleged, “Their party collects goonda tax. From illegal coal syndicates across Assam, from coal-laden trucks—₹1.5 to ₹2 lakh per truck— from Burmese betel nut coming through Barak Valley, from fish at Paltan Bazar, from limestone and almost everywhere, money is collected. Funds are also extracted in the name of bridges and Public Works Department contracts. The money has to be deposited at designated houses. Even when Himanta Biswa Sarma applied for a Congress ticket in the past, he had paid the application fee and contributed to the party fund. We have never collected money through dishonest means.”

Responding to questions regarding surveys by various agencies projecting the possibility of the BJP returning to power, Bordoloi said these are psychological attempts to demoralise the Congress. He claimed that such surveys are influenced by money and that the BJP is adept at such tactics. Questioning the recent survey by People’s Plus, Bordoloi asked about the sample size and methodology, and whether it was conducted only among BJP supporters or across communities, languages, religions, and social groups. He said there are serious doubts regarding the survey’s scientific process.

Bordoloi stated, “Only 30 per cent of people want Himanta Biswa Sarma as Chief Minister, while 27 per cent prefer Gaurav Gogoi. That means 70 out of every 100 people do not want Himanta Biswa Sarma as Chief Minister. Those who want him are brokers and middlemen. We are not bothered by such claims. The misrule of the BJP will come to an end in Assam. The people of Assam will give the final answer in the elections.”

During the press conference, Bordoloi also expressed concern over alleged vote theft. He said that after Maharashtra, Haryana, Bihar, and Karnataka, the BJP has begun similar manipulations in Assam as well. Incidents of such activities have reportedly come to light even in the heart of Guwahati. He asserted that the Congress is determined to defeat such conspiracies and that the people of Assam will respond strongly against any attempt at vote theft.

▪️ Media & Communication Department
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee
PR/APCC/M-26/0009