Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi with party candidate Tanzil Hussain (3rd from left) as the latter files nomination for Assam’s Samaguri Assembly constituency bypoll. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

The ruling BJP has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Congress MP Rakibul Hussain and his son Tanzil, who is contesting the upcoming assembly bypoll from Samaguri constituency in Assam, for allegedly using children during election campaigning.

In the complaint filed with the ECI, the BJP alleged that children were being used in campaigning activities in support of Hussain’s son Tanzil, who is trying his electoral luck for the first time.

“The involvement of children in political rallies is a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct as it exploits their innocence and undermines the integrity of the electoral process. This practice raises ethical concerns and should not be tolerated,” the complaint said.

The BJP claimed to have submitted video evidence along with the complaint to the ECI and demanded immediate action.

Bypoll will take place in Dholai (SC), Sidli (ST), Bongaigaon, Behali and Samaguri assembly constituencies as these seats fell vacant with the representatives of them winning the recent Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress named Tanzil Hussain as the party’s candidate for Samaguri seat against Diplu Ranjan Sarma of BJP.

The BJP candidate, a first-timer, is a state general secretary and a former president of the party’s State youth wing.

Congress MP Rakibul Hussain, who won Dhubri Lok Sabha seat this year by a record margin of over 10.12 lakh votes, was an MLA from Samaguri for five consecutive terms.

The polling for byelections will take place on November 13 and the votes will be counted on November 23.