Assam Congress demands suspension of poll in Tamulpur seat after BPF candidate joins BJP
Guwahati: The Congress has demanded suspension of election in Tamulpur constituency in the third phase of the Assam assembly elections on April 6 as its ally Bodoland People's Front (BPF) candidate from the seat Rangja Khungur Basumatary joined the BJP in the middle of the ongoing polls.
The Election Commission heard the matter on Saturday in the presence of returning officer for the constituency Sanjiv Sarma, but no decision has been announced so far, sources in the poll panel told PTI.
The BPF had lodged a complaint with the EC after its candidate from the Tamulpur assembly segment in Baksa district of the Bodoland Territorial Region had joined the BJP on April 1.
In a complaint submitted to the chief electoral officer here on Saturday night, Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora urged him to take appropriate action against Basumatary.
He also requested the poll panel to take stringent action against Assam minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma who held a meeting with the BPF candidate before he switched over to the saffron party.
"It is evident that there has been a gross violation of the Election Commission of India's model code of conduct as well as several provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
"Under such circumstances, I request your honour to take prompt and necessary action against Basumatary and Himanta Biswa Sarma. I further request you to stop the election process in Tamulpur constituency immediately," Bora said.
Following the development, which was not seen before as per the officials, the opposition parties accused the BJP of indulging in the pre-poll "horse-trading".
Basumatary had reportedly gone missing for two days and at around midnight on March 31, he met Sarma. The senior BJP leader had written on Twitter that he met Basumatary who would join the saffron party.
Basumatary told a local TV channel that he had decided to quit the BPF as the party did not lend any helping hand to him to fund his campaign.
The BPF candidate had said he couldn't withdraw himself from the contest now due to some technical issues, but he would be supporting BJP's ally United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) nominee Leho Ram Boro in the seat.
The first phase of the Assam assembly elections was held on March 27, and the second phase on April 1.
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Trump pauses Project Freedom, claims great progress for final agreement with Iran
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump has suspended “Project Freedom,” to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming progress in negotiations with Iran toward an agreement to end the war.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said, “Great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran.”
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump said.
Project Freedom was launched on Monday to escort ships, stranded due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, out to safety. Trump had announced the operation on Sunday and the US Central Command began implementing it the next day.
However, the Project led to friction in the vicinity of the narrow seaway, a key route for transporting one-fifth of the global oil supplies, with the UAE claiming that its ships were attacked by Iran. The US also claimed to have destroyed several Iranian small boats.
Trump’s statement on Truth Social came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Operation Epic Fury, launched on February 28, had concluded as its objectives have been achieved.
"Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace. What @POTUS would prefer is a deal... that is, so far, not the route that Iran has chosen," Rubio told a press conference at the White House on Tuesday.
On Project Freedom, Rubio said the goal was to rescue almost 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries who were trapped inside the Persian Gulf and left for dead by the Iranian regime.
"This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation, and what that means is very simple: there’s no shooting unless we're shot at first. We’re not attacking them, but if they're attacking us or they’re attacking a ship, you need to respond to that," Rubio said.
