Summary:
Guwahati, Oct 22 (PTI) Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia has demanded the state election commission bar Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by among other things offering Government house construction assistance to voters in election rallies.
Congress leader Saikia filed a complaint with the state Chief Electoral Officer on Friday demanding debarring of Sarma from campaigning for the October 30 bye-polls.
Drawing the CEO"s attention to video clips, Saikia claimed that the Chief Minister had at a bye-election campaign meeting in Bhabanipur Assembly constituency pointed to a person in the crowd and said he be given a house, and also asked that whosoever is responsible for allocation of houses in that locality should provide him with a house under the Prime Minister"s Awas Yojana (PM"s scheme for housing or PMAY).
Saikia said the Chief Minister is not authorised to allot any house as the government has a clear-cut policy for allotment of PMAY houses.
The list of eligible persons selected for allotment is based on socio-economic conditions and after approval by the Gaon Sabha (village council) under a panchayat.
The complaint also stated that the chief minister while campaigning in Thowra constituency repeatedly claimed that the pre-condition for the development of any legislative assembly constituency, tis that the MLA should belongs to the ruling political party or ruling alliance.