On April 1, hours after polling in the second phase of the Assam Legislative Assembly election concluded, a video surfaced on social media. The video allegedly showed electronic voting machines (EVMs) in a car linked to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Patharkandi candidate Krishnendu Paul.

Assam-based journalist Atanu Bhuyan posted the video on social media platform Twitter. Bhuyan also said that the situation in the Patharkandi Vidhan Sabha constituency was “tense” following the incident.

If the allegation is true, then the anxiety of retaining Assam and paranoia and desperation of making inroads into West Bengal is leading BJP to allow its members to roam around with EVMs in cars.

Opposition leaders, including senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who has been campaigning in Assam and Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi, targeted the BJP over the incident.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, through a tweet asked the Election Commission of India to act decisively in the matter and said that a “serious re-evaluation” of EVM use needs to be carried out by all national parties.

Gogoi, the Deputy Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha and son of former Assam chief minister late Tarun Gogoi, claimed on Twitter that “looting EVMs” is the “only way the BJP can win” the election.

Gogoi further added in the tweet, “EVM capturing, like there used to be booth capturing. All under the nose of the Election Commission. Sad day for democracy (sic).”

Also Read: Assam election: Will ask for your vote, then you need to prove your citizenship

In a tweet, Congress’ National Spokesperson Sushmita Dev said, “EVMs being transported in the candidates car is criminal and the @ECISVEEP must take the strictest action. The candidate must be disqualified and all officers concerned should be investigated. The BJPs fears of losing should not jeopardize the democratic process.”

The widely popular Sushmita Dev, who is the daughter of seven-time parliamentarian Santosh Mohan Dev is considered the face of the Congress in Assam’s largely Bengali-speaking Barak Valley, which went to polls on April 01. She was believed to have  walked out of a party meeting in Guwahati unhappy over selection of candidates and seat-sharing with Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF, which the Congress has partnered with in this election. Currently president of the All India Mahila Congress, Dev represented Silchar seat in Barak till she was defeated by the BJP’s Rajdeep Roy in the 2019 general elections.