In response to recent violence in Assam’s Samaguri Assembly constituency ahead of the upcoming by-election, the Election Commission (EC) has directed the transfer of two police officers from Nagaon district, an area that has become a flashpoint of political conflict.
These moves follow skirmishes and allegations exchanged between supporters of the ruling BJP and the Congress.
Nagaon’s Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime), Partha Pratim Saikia, and Kaliabar Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Rupjyoti Dutta, have been transferred out of the district with immediate effect.
Jayanta Baruah and Shyamanta Sarma have been appointed as the new ASP (Crime) and SDPO, respectively, according to officials on Monday.
The BJP has subsequently appealed to the EC to restrict Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain’s campaigning activities in Samaguri, accusing him of fomenting violence in the constituency.
In a formal letter submitted to the EC on Sunday, BJP representatives alleged that Hussain’s presence was fuelling unrest.
Assam minister Bimal Bora, after submitting the letter, stated, “The by-election in Samaguri has turned violent due to conspiracy of this one person, Rakibul Hussain. We want that Hussain should not be allowed to campaign here any further. The by-election will not be fair and transparent if he is allowed to move around here.”
Rakibul Hussain, who represented Samaguri in the state Assembly for over two decades, vacated the seat after his election to the Lok Sabha earlier this year.
His son Tanzil Hussain is now contesting the seat as the Congress candidate, while the BJP has fielded Diplu Ranjan Sharma, its state general secretary and former state youth wing president.
The electoral environment turned tense after BJP MLA Jitu Goswami’s vehicle was reportedly fired upon in the Rupahihat area on Sunday. Goswami filed a complaint against Hussain and other Congress workers at Rupahihat police station, alleging incidents of stone-pelting, illegal firing, attempted murder, and incitement to violence.
According to Goswami, “gunshots were fired” following an attack on him and BJP supporters from a Congress election office in the Muriputhi Kheti area on Saturday evening.
Goswami further alleged that Hussain had instigated the attackers, leading to injuries for two BJP workers. His complaint names 15 individuals, including the Congress MP, as responsible parties.
Meanwhile, both BJP and Congress supporters have accused one another of violent tactics, with reports of scuffles, verbal altercations, and gunfire involving their respective supporters in Samaguri. Journalists covering the campaigns have also been caught up in the clashes, with injuries reported among the media contingent.
In a separate incident on Sunday, Tanzil Hussain’s vehicle was allegedly attacked by BJP supporters at Udmari village, forcing him to retreat from his campaign. Congress leaders have since filed complaints with the EC and local police over this event, alleging harassment of their candidate.
The bypoll has high stakes, with the BJP aiming to claim the Congress stronghold in the demographically sensitive Nagaon district. The Congress, however, is determined to retain the seat, having held it for over two decades under Rakibul Hussain.
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