Candidate Defected To BJP- Bodoland People's Front Moves SC Seeking Postponement Of Elections To Tamulpur Constituency In Assam to Substitute its Candidate

The Bodoland People's Front has approached the Supreme Court seeking extension in time for completion of election to the Tamulpur Assembly constituency in Assam scheduled to be held on 6th April 2021. The President of the Bodoland Peoples Front Hangrama Mohilary has filed the plea seeking urgent directions to the Election Commission to decide their representations dated 1st April and 2nd April 2021 and pass appropriate orders to enable the Petitioner's political party to substitute its candidate Rangja Khungur Basuatary, who has defected to the BJP after filing the nomination on behalf of BPF. The plea has sought directions to the Election Commission to amend the election schedule prescribed in the gazette notification dated 12th March 2021 for the 3rd phase of the Assam Assembly Elections, in terms of Section 153 and Section 30 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, so as to enable Petitioner's party i.e. According to the petitioner, the presentation plea seeks necessary directions to the Election Commission to not rescind the election, but merely to extend the completion of the same by deferring the poll to the constituency in question so as to allow the Petitioner's political party to field a genuine candidate who would substitute its erstwhile candidate who has so flagrantly defected to the BJP. The petitioner has stated that they had approached the Election Commission with this request after the candidate set up by it to contest the polls, Rangja Khungur Basumatary, defected to BJP on the eve of the polls and much later than the last date of filing nominations " Such ingenious method of sabotaging a political party from participating in elections is not only an affront to the democratic and constitutional spirit of free and fair elections but the inaction of the Election Commission in exercising its powers under Section 153 to ensure the furtherance of election in a free and fair manner is completely antithetical to the concept of equality before law enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution and a deprivation of the fundamental right of free speech and expression of the political party under Article 19 to express itself and seek votes through a candidate of its choice."