Guwahati, Mar 26 (PTI) The opposition Congress on Saturday took out a march to the election office here, demanding that the date of Guwahati Municipal Corporation polls, scheduled to be held on April 19, be postponed as it coincided with Rongali Bihu, the most important festival in the state.
The march that commenced from Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) was stopped at a distance from the office of the State Election Commission, which lay shut as officials were on weekend leave.
Led by the party’s state unit president Bhupen Borah, Congress activists condemned the irrational decision to hold GMC elections amid the Bihu festival before handing over a memorandum to the police in this matter for submission to the state election commission.
Leader of opposition in Assembly Debabrata Saikia and Congress working president Jakir Hussain Sikdar were among those who took part in the rally.
“Rongali Bihu reflects the cultural identity of every Assamese. For the last two years, people were not able to celebrate the festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is, therefore, very insensitive on the part of the authorities to hold elections during the festival,” Borah added.
Celebrations for Rongali Bihu will begin in the state from April 14.
The ruling BJP in the state has also submitted a memorandum to the commission with the similar demand.
Notification for elections to the 60 wards of GMC was issued on Wednesday.
The last date for filing of nominations is March 30.
As many as 796,829 voters — 396,891 male, 39,9911 females and 27 of the third gender — will exercise their franchise in 789 polling stations spread across the 60 wards.