GUWAHATI: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Tuesday urged the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Assam, to give exemption of contesting candidate, their election agents and political party workers who have been engaged on the duty of strong room from the purview of the night curfew in the state.

Assam has clamped night curfew between 8 PM to 5 AM across the state owing to the rising cases of Covid19. Though the movement of individuals was banned during the period, only essential service providers were exempted. However, the standard operating procedure (SOP) did not mention anything about the political candidates, their agents and those engaged in surveillance of strong rooms.

Immediately after the state government imposed the night curfew on Tuesday, APCC president Ripun Bora in a letter to CEO Assam Nitin Khade said, “If an exemption is not allowed from night curfew to the contesting candidates, their election agents or the candidates’ representatives during this curfew period they would not be able to visit or guard the strong room which will frustrate the very purpose of maintaining transparency and neutrality of the Election Commission of India in the matter of safety and security of the strong rooms where the EVMs are kept.”

Bora added, “Therefore, I on behalf of Indian National Congress would urge upon your intervention in this sensitive matter and direct state government to give exemption from night curfew (8 PM to 5 AM,) to the contesting candidates, their election agents and representatives, party workers of the candidates who are on strong room duty in their movement to strong room as and when necessary.”

While the night curfew was clammed till May 1, the result of the election would be announced on May 2.

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