Congress concedes defeat; blames BJP, police, EC for poll misconduct

Guwahati, May 12: In the wake of the Bharatiya Janata Party's sweeping victory in the recently concluded Panchayat elections, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), on Monday, formally conceded defeat but launched a scathing attack on the conduct of the polls, describing the process as “extremely unfortunate”.

Addressing the press at Rajiv Bhawan, former Member of Parliament RP Sharma alleged widespread irregularities and “blatant misuse of government machinery” by the ruling party.

"The BJP used hired goons to intimidate and assault Congress workers. The entire election was marred by injustice and irregularities," Sharma said.

He further accused the administration and police of complicity, stating that repeated complaints about violations of election norms went unaddressed.

"Despite filing complaints, not a single FIR was registered. The role of the state Election Commission has also been deeply disappointing," he said.

Sharma called for re-elections in constituencies where irregularities were reported, emphasising the need to restore public trust in the democratic process.

Reflecting on the Congress party’s underwhelming performance, Sharma acknowledged internal weaknesses.

“We couldn’t execute our plans in several districts due to inefficiencies at the grassroots level. We’ve analysed where we fell short and are already working on corrective measures. In 2026, Gaurav (Gogoi) will surely win,” he added with optimism.

He also pointed to the government's abrupt scheduling of the polls as a major hurdle in the party’s preparations.

“Initially, elections were expected in September. But the government suddenly declared the dates in May, catching us off guard,” he noted.

Drawing a contrast with previous elections, Sharma remarked, “Under Sarbananda Sonowal’s leadership, elections were conducted in a free and fair manner—unlike what we witnessed this time.”