GUWAHATI, Dec 27 – Terming the State Government’s decision to hold mid-term polls for the NC Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) in February 2010 as “illegal, unconstitutional and anti-people”, BJP Assam State president Ramen Deka today alleged that a vested interest circle at high places of the Government want to use the Council as a milch cow. Addressing a press conference, Deka said that the anti-tribal attitude of the Congress-ledState Government had been apparent from the beginning as it was constantly putting all sorts of “barriers and obstacles” to prevent opposition parties, such as BJP and ASDC from ruling the NCHAC even after gaining absolute majority.

“Now ironically, even when its own party is going to rule the Council, the democratic process has been blocked by the State Government as well as the Governor of Assam,” Deka said.

Asserting that the chronology of events leading to the cabinet decision to hold mid-term polls strongly pointed to a conspiracy, Deka said that members of the Council voted out the erstwhile executive committee headed by Mohet Hojai at a specially-summoned session on December 14 electing Samarjit Haflongbar as CEM but the government notification issued on behalf of the Governor dated December 15, 2009 declared the session illegal as under the purported ground that it was held during the Governor’s rule in NCHAC.

“But the point to be noted here is that Governor’s rule which was imposed on June 12, 2009, lapsed on December 11, 2009, and no notification was issued for further extension of Governor’s rule. “This is a case of blatant violation of democratic norms and there is clearly a vested interest in plunging the Council in deep constitutional crisis,” he said.

The BJP leader said that the people were happy following the DHD(J)’s surrender of arms on October 2, 2009 and the lapse of Governor’s rule on December 11 but the subsequent developments bode ill for restoration of a democratic order in the trouble-torn district.

“It seems there is a vested interest circle at high places in the Government which still wants to use the NCHADC as a perennial ATM,” he said.