Himanta Sarma challenges Rahul Gandhi to seek Congress govts' resignations for ballot paper polls

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said he was willing to contest elections using ballot papers if Congress governments in Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana resigned, alleging that they too had come to power through "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 governments' resignations. The Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana governments must resign because those governments were also formed through 'vote chori' under Gyanesh Kumar," Sarma said.

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Defending the SIR, Sarma said the exercise was needed in the country to check demographic changes.

"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.

The SIR is essential to arrest demographic changes, the chief minister said.

"I demand that there should be an SIR every five years. Only then will Indian democracy be saved," he added.

The CM alleged that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are working at the behest of foreign forces. "They are trying to destroy all democratic institutions. They are trying to make India like Nepal and Bangladesh," he added.

Sarma further alleged that Gandhi is exposing India's democratic institutions to anarchy. He described the Congress's 'vote chori' protest as an attempt to effect regime change without public support.

"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," the chief minister added.