‘If someone else wins, why will I give?’: BJP MLA accused of threatening voters ahead of Assam panchayat polls

“In the block, the chairman is the main authority. Who is the chairman? The MLA is the chairman, me… I am telling you frankly, if she doesn’t win and someone else wins, why will I give? If somebody else wins and someone goes to her and asks for something, there will be only one answer, she will say she can’t do it. If you ask for Orunodoi, she will say she can’t. If you ask for a ration card, she will say she can’t do it. Why will they say they can’t do it? Because they don’t have the MLA with them, they don’t have to govern with them. If they ask, I will be the one giving it,” he can be heard saying in the video.

When contacted by The Indian Express, Phukan said, “The video doesn’t show what I was saying before. There is one woman member who had been elected last time who had done a lot of corruption and is contesting again. I was asking why they should vote for her. There was no threat. I was telling them that I am there for them and will make benefits reach them.”

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia wrote the SEC Wednesday urging action against Phukan.

“Yesterday, Digboi MLA told some members of the rural public that if they do not vote for the BJP candidate and make the candidate win, they will not be able to benefit from Orunodoi or any other beneficiary schemes of the Assam government. This is very unfortunate but the election commission has not said anything about this yet,” said Saikia.

Panchayat polls in Assam will take place in two phases on May 2 and May 7, and votes will be counted on May 11.