Assam Congress leader Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury on Monday said that the party will turn to "legal remedies" after discrepancies surfaced in the counting of votes for Karimganj Lok Sabha seat.
Choudhury, who contested and lost against BJP's Kripanath Mallah from Karimganj, said that he would approach the Gauhati High Court and urged the election commission to put the declaration of the BJP candidate's win on hold and conduct elections again in the entire constituency.
BJP's Kripanath Mallah won the seat for the second straight time beating Congress candidate Choudhury by 18,360 votes. Mallah secured 5,45,093 votes against Choudhury's 5,26,733.
However, days after the results were announced on June 4, it emerged that while a total of 11,36,538 votes were polled, the total votes counted in electronic voting machines excluding postal ballot were 11,40,349 - 3,811 votes more than polled.
“As soon as we came to know about the discrepancy in votes polled in EVMs and votes counted, we mailed a complaint to the Election Commission. The discrepancy questions the result and amounts to corrupt practice. Hence, repolling should be ordered in Karimganj,” the Congress candidate told reporters today.
He said, "We have tried all options available with us to highlight the malpractices and discrepancies. The difference of 3,811 votes creates a doubt on fairness of the election. Since no action has been taken on our complaints yet, we are left with no other option but to seek legal remedies.”
Choudhury said that he had filed 19 complaints with the EC on April 26 - the day of polling about mismanagement and rigging of votes in Karimganj and named 38 polling centres where such malpractices occurred.
Meanwhile, four days after the counting, on June 8, the chief electoral officer of Assam, Anurag Goel posted on X, "The returning officer (of Karimganj seat) and DC Karimganj has been asked to enquire and explain the discrepancy. More details can be shared on receipt of official report from the returning officer, Karimganj."
BJP won nine out of the 11 seats it contested in Assam this year, while the Congress bagged three seats. BJP allies Asom Gana Parishad and United Peoples Party Liberal won the other two seats.
