Guwahati, March 15 – Raijor Dal President and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi alleged on Sunday that the Election Commission's decision to hold the upcoming Assam Assembly elections in a single phase was taken under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership and demanded that the poll schedule be revised.
Speaking to reporters here, Gogoi claimed that the decision to conduct the election in one phase was influenced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"The Election Commission has taken the decision to conduct elections in Assam in one phase due to pressure from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Home Minister Amit Shah. We will not accept this decision," he said.
He also alleged that the democratic process should not be influenced by any political party.
"The vote cannot be dictated by the BJP. Here the Election Commission is being controlled by the BJP," he claimed, urging the poll body to immediately reconsider its decision.
Gogoi demanded that the Election Commission alter the poll schedule and conduct the Assembly elections in three phases in Assam instead of one.
"We demand that the Election Commission immediately change the decision and conduct the polls in Assam in three phases," he said.
The Raijor Dal leader also took a swipe at the Congress, saying that his efforts to build an alliance with the party ahead of the polls did not yield any result.
"I have wasted my energy seeking an alliance with the Congress," Gogoi said, asserting that his party was capable of putting up a strong performance independently in the upcoming state elections.
"The Raijor Dal has enough strength to perform well in the upcoming Assembly polls," he added.
Earlier on Sunday, the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Assam Assembly elections, saying that polling will be held in a single phase across the state.
The poll panel said that the counting of votes will take place along with other states where Assembly elections are scheduled.
The election for the 126-member Assembly in Assam will be held on April 9 and the counting of votes will take place on May 4.