Election Commission ends Himanta Biswa Sarma's campaign 48 hours early

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Friday barred BJP leader and its ‘star campaigner’ in Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma from campaigning for 48 hours over his alleged threat to the chairman of Bodoland People’s Front, a

Congress alliance partner

in the state.


The 48-hour ban effectively means that Sarma will not be able to campaign any more in Assam as the ban shall remain in force till Sunday evening, by when campaigning for the last phase of polling in the state would have ended.

Finding Sarma’s threat to BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary that he would be arrested by central investigation agency NIA to be prima facie a violation of the model code of conduct, the EC said it strongly condemned his impugned statement. Though Sarma, in his reply to the EC notice served on him on Thursday, denied allegations that he had threatened Mohilary and also tried to influence voters not to vote for the Congress alliance, the EC did not find the explanation satisfactory.

Accordingly, the EC barred him from holding any public meetings, public processions, rallies, road shows or giving media interviews for 48 hours with immediate effect from April 2.

The model code requires criticism of

political parties

to be limited to their policies and programmes and not extend to aspects of private life of their leaders. Also, it provides that “all parties and candidates shall avoid scrupulously all activities which are corrupt practices and offences under the election law”, including bribing and intimidation of voters.

As per the full transcript of Sarma’s statement, received from the Assam chief electoral officer, he had said, “If Hagrama does extremism with Batha, he will go to jail. If Hagrama encourages Batha, he will go to jail. Already got lot of evidence, the case is being given to NIA. The recovery of arms at Kokrajhar in a car, that case is being given to NIA. Nobody will be allowed to do unrest in BTR, even if he is Hagrama or anyone. This will not be tolerated. We are not afraid of Batha. I am making it clear. There will be no bomb in BTR, there will be no firearms in BTR. These arms recovery cases will be counted one by one after the election. We will not allow unrest in Bodoland, this is being enquired by the NIA.”