When the going gets tough .... the Congress faces tougher challenges. That's the story from Assam.
Polls in BJP-ruled Assam may be held by April 10-12 before the Bihu festival and each day is throwing up mounting challenges for the grand old party.
After Congress party reportedly agreed to allot nine seats to Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) for Assembly polls, tensions flared at Abarta Bhawan in Golaghat on Thursday. Feb 26th.
Reports say Congress workers demanded accountability from Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Gaurav Gogoi over the party’s decision to leave the Sarupathar constituency to the Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP).
Many local Congress leaders in Sarupathar and Golaghat region -- not far from Nagaland -- say the party decision is misguided and almost a suicidal one. The nine seats allotted by the Congress for AJP include
Khowang, Barhampur, Binnakandi, Bajali, Guwahati Central, Sadiya, Dibrugarh, Sarupathar and Palashbari.
The AJP is led by its President Lurinjyoti Gogoi. The Congress party is also willing to leave one Barak Valley seat for the AJP.
There remains a possibility of additional adjustments. “There is a possibility that we may also contest in either Dhemaji or Morigaon, depending on final adjustments. If Morigaon is left to us, Bani Das will be our candidate.
Similarly, if we secure Dhemaji, Chitranjan Basumatary is likely to be fielded,” sources said.
AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi is likely to contest from Khowang in Dibrugarh.
In Barhampur, the party is weighing its options between Rajen Gohain and Shyamanta Kashyap, son of former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.
Hundreds of party workers staged a protest at the venue, expressing strong resentment against the leadership’s move.
They alleged that the decision to cede the Sarupathar seat to the AJP had deeply disappointed grassroots workers who had long built the party’s base in the constituency.
Chanting slogans such as “Sarupathar kar? Congress’r” (Whose is Sarupathar? It belongs to Congress’), the protesters gathe
red in front of the APCC chief, pressing for an immediate reversal of the decision.
The episode has certainly left Gaurav Gogoi red-faced.
The protesters asserted that Congress has a strong organisational foundation in Sarupathar and argued that conceding the seat to the AJP would weaken the party’s prospects.
“Our workers have worked hard to build this foundation, and we believe we can defeat the BJP here. We cannot give this constituency to any other political party. Gaurav Gogoi has not given a final decision and said the matter will be discussed. We will wait for one night. If our demand is not met, thousands of workers will shave their heads,” said one of the members.
Meanwhile, Gaurav Gogoi, who flagged off the third phase of the party’s Samay Parivartan Yatra in Golaghat on Thursday, said the leadership understands the sentiments of the workers.
“We understand their emotions and we will not let their willpower weaken. As the Pradesh Congress, we stand with our workers,” Gogoi said.
“The natural cohesion among Congress, Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad is yet to be seen. Their only focus appears to be removing the present government rather than presenting a roadmap for Assam’s progress,” said Assam BJP chief Dilip Saikia,
On the possibility of friendly contests between the BJP and its ally, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Saikia said discussions are still underway and no final decision has been taken.
Saikia also has paid homage to freedom fighter and Assam’s first tea planter and freedom fighter Maniram Dewan on his death anniversary at his memorial in Chinamora Tea Estate in Jorhat.
ends
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