Ready for ballot paper polls if Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana govts resign: Himanta dares Congress

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday (October 12) said he was ready to contest elections using ballot papers if the Congress governments in Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana resigned, alleging that they too had come to power through 'vote chori' under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Addressing a press conference, Sarma targeted Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress over their campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and allegations of electoral malpractice.

"I am ready to contest on the ballot paper if Rahul Gandhi and Congress are ready for their governments' resignations. The Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana governments must resign because those governments were also formed through 'vote chori' under Gyanesh Kumar," Sarma said.

The BJP leader said Rahul Gandhi should resign before demanding the resignation of the CEC since he was also elected to the Lok Sabha through the same process. 

"I want to ask Rahul Gandhi and the Congress: If Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister through 'vote chori', was Rahul Gandhi not elected and made the Leader of the Opposition through the same 'vote chori' process?" he said.

He also challenged the Congress to boycott polls conducted through EVMs.

"I want to ask



Rahul Gandhi and Congress: will they take part in the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Manipur and Uttarakhand because these all will be held during Gyanesh Kumar's tenure and by EVM. Can Congress declare that they will not contest in these elections and they will not contest any elections conducted using EVM?" he said.

He alleged that Gandhi and the Congress have started blackmailing the country's institutions. "They are threatening the Election Commission, and now they have gone to the extent of threatening the Supreme Court... I strongly condemn Rahul Gandhi and Congress for such actions," Sarma said.

He also claimed that Gandhi does not like the youth of the country. "He (Gandhi) never tells them to study well. He only invites the youth to create disturbances in Delhi," the CM said.

Asked whether the CJP and the Congress had any tacit understanding, given that both are raising similar demands, Sarma said he believed there was a competition between the “Cockroach Janta Party” and the Opposition party.

"I do not want to comment on those who call themselves cockroaches. They call themselves cockroaches but not the youth of this country," he added.

"Rahul Gandhi never visited the Ram temple, but now he is talking about Shiva. He said that he will perform tandav," Sarma said.