Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said he was ready to contest elections on ballot paper if the Congress govts in Keralam, Karnataka and Telangana resigned, claiming those govts were also formed through alleged “vote chori” under chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.“I am ready to contest on the ballot paper if Rahul Gandhi and Congress are ready for their govts’ resignations. The Keralam, Karnataka and Telangana govts must resign because those govts were also formed through ‘vote chori’ under Gyanesh Kumar,” he said.Addressing a news conference, Sarma launched a sharp attack on leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress over their campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and their allegations of vote theft.Sarma argued that the revision was necessary to check demographic change, citing illegal immigration in Assam, West Bengal and Jharkhand.“The SIR is needed in India. Assam, West Bengal and Jharkhand’s demography changed due to huge illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is taking place every day, and if we cannot delete their names from the voter list, India’s demography will change,” he said.He also called for the exercise to be held regularly. “I demand that there should be an SIR every five years. Only then will Indian democracy be saved,” he said.The chief minister accused Gandhi and Congress of working at the behest of foreign forces and undermining democratic institutions.“They are trying to destroy all democratic institutions. They are trying to make India like Nepal and Bangladesh,” he said. He alleged that Gandhi was exposing the country’s institutions to anarchy and described the “vote chori” protest as an attempt to bring about regime change without public support.Dismissing the turnout at Congress’s protests, Sarma said, “Without any people’s support, only 2,000-3,000 people are joining Rahul Gandhi. This entire protest is carried out by a bunch of frustrated people and ‘dimagi naxals’, who do not want India to grow.”
