Guwahati, July 18 (PTI): A total of 123 of 126 Assam MLAs, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, cast their votes for the presidential election at Assam Assembly here on Monday amid AIUDF’s allegation of cross-voting by Congress.
Voting has concluded and the ballot box will be sealed and sent to New Delhi amid tight security aboard a flight at night.
Congress MLA Bharat Chandra Narah had sought permission to cast his vote in New Delhi as he is undergoing treatment in the national capital, while AIUDF legislators Suzzamuddin Laskar and Nizamuddin Choudhury did not exercise their franchise as they are in Saudi Arabia to perform Haj.
The chief minister, after exercising his franchise, tweeted, “I cast my vote for the 2022 presidential election.”
Legislators of both ruling NDA and Opposition Congress and AIUDF were seen queuing on the assembly premises before voting began at 10 AM.
Most of the cabinet ministers and Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia cast their votes early in the day, an official said.
Congress and AIUDF, officially supporting Opposition nominee Yashwant Sinha, engaged in a war of words with the Badruddin Ajmal-led outfit alleging that 20 of the 27 MLAs of the grand old party voted for NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu.
AIUDF legislator Karimuddin Barbhuiya told reporters that he has evidence that 20, if not more, Congress MLA have cross-voted in favour of Murmu.
The MLA from Sonai in Cachar district claimed that only two-three Congress MLAs had attended a party meeting held in the assembly on Sunday, and only district presidents were present.
“Why did Congress state president Bhupen Bora hold a meeting in the assembly when he himself is not an MLA? Why did the party legislators not attend it? There has been cross-voting by Congress members,” he said.
Barbhuiya, however, did not name the MLAs, but he lashed out at Bora for not inviting AIUDF to a recent meeting of Opposition parties when Sinha had come to Assam to seek support from lawmakers.
Reacting to the allegations, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Debabrata Saikia wondered how could Barbhuiya make such “absurd” claims when voting was held through secret ballot.
“From the beginning, AIUDF has maintained double standards on the issue of presidential election. But I would not like to assume or speculate on which of their MLAs voted for whom.
“Ajmal had participated in two Opposition meetings in New Delhi but did not commit himself. He later said his party will vote for Murmu but again changed his mind a day before the poll. The result will reveal the true picture,” Saikia told PTI.
Ajmal had earlier announced that AIUDF will vote in favour of Murmu, but a day before the election, changed the decision and said its lawmakers would vote for Sinha.
Several BJP MLAs had visited Ajmal’s residence on Sunday requesting him to again change the decision and vote for Murmu.
Reacting to this, party MLA Aminul Islam said on Monday, “BJP has double standards. On one hand, it says it does not have anything to do with AIUDF, and on the other, it does not hesitate to shamelessly ask for our votes.”
An Assam MLA’s vote is valued at 116 with the total value being at 14,616.
The ruling NDA has 79 MLAs, while three BPF members who support the alliance but have not formally joined it are also likely to have voted for Murmu.
Congress has 27 MLAs but three of them have been suspended due to anti-party activities and they have not made it clear which candidate they supported.
A CPI (M) and Independent member have pledged their support to Sinha.
Assam has a total of 21 MPs — 14 in the Lok Sabha and seven in the Rajya Sabha — and the total value of the votes is 14,700.
The ruling NDA has a total of 15 MPs, with BJP having 13 and its allies AGP and UPPL one each, while one Independent is also likely to vote in favour of Murmu.
Opposition Congress has three MPs, the AIUDF one, and another Independent lawmaker has also pledged his support to Sinha.
