ULFA not to participate in Assam assembly polls
February 06, 2011 21:50 IST
The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom, preparing for unconditional dialogue with the Government of India, has said that its leaders and cadres involved in the current peace process with the government will have 'zero involvement' in the forthcoming assembly elections in Assam.
Several political parties have aired their apprehension before the Election Commission that a large number of cadres of insurgents groups including the ULFA may be used by certain quarters to influence mandate in the poll.
However, responding to the apprehensions, ULFA 'foreign secretary' Sasadhar Choudhury said there would be no involvement of ULFA leaders and cadres, including those already lodged in designated camps, in the election process in Assam. He said, obviously, there was no question of the ULFA men casting their votes in the polls.
"We probably don't have our names in the state's poll roll as we were out of the country for so many years. Even if names are there in the voters' list, there is no chance of ULFA men casting votes as the outfit doesn't want to get involved in the election process at this stage when peace talks are on the anvil, " Choudhury said.
Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi during his visit to the state a few days back informed that the government had been instructed by the EC to ensure that the surrendered militants and those yet to surrender but in truce in no way get involved in the election process. The CEC said militants in truce if found outside the designated camps during the poll period were liable to be considered as lawbreakers.
K Anurag in Guwahati
