4 oppn parties announce joint campaign for Assam polls, seat-sharing deal still elusive

Guwahati, Mar 6 (PTI) Four opposition parties in Assam, led by the Congress, on Friday announced that they will campaign jointly for the upcoming assembly elections, practically sealing their alliance.

They said they are also in talks with other parties, including the Raijor Dal led by Akhil Gogoi, and expressed hope that the grouping will expand soon.

"From now on, we will undertake joint campaign meetings across the state. Discussions on some probable locations in Upper Assam have already taken place, and we will discuss other parts as well," state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi said at a press conference.

He was joined by CPI(M) state secretary Suprakash Talukdar, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and All Party Hill Leaders' Conference chief Jones Ingti Kathar.

The opposition grouping is yet to announce its seat-sharing arrangement, with friendly contests likely in a few constituencies. The Congress has, however, named candidates for 42 seats.

The Congress leader said the elections are likely to be held before Bohag Bihu in mid-April, making the coming weeks crucial for the parties.

He noted that although opposition parties had earlier discussed contesting the polls together, they had been occupied with organisational work, the special revision of electoral rolls and related activities.

"We felt that it was time we took our views together to the public. Hence, we will launch the joint campaign from now on," said Gogoi, who has been named the party's candidate from the Jorhat assembly segment.

Asked whether other parties would join the grouping, Gogoi said discussions were still underway.

"We are sending a clear message that from today, we are coming together. But our doors are open, and we are in talks with others also," he said.

The AJP president said the four parties had joined hands to send a "clear message to the people that we are united in our journey to oust the communal BJP".

"We are hopeful that other opposition parties will join us along the way. Our united journey has started," he said.

He alleged that the BJP-led government had failed to address the state’s core issues, resulting in inflation and corruption.

Kathar claimed the people in the state, particularly in the hill areas, were being deprived of equal opportunities in education and employment.

"That is why we have decided to fight united. Our objective is to remove the BJP," he said.

Talukdar said the alliance marked a "good beginning" that now needed to be consolidated.

"The chief minister's hate politics have embarrassed us before the country, and we need to change it," he added.

In the 126-member Assam assembly, the ruling BJP has 64 MLAs. Its allies, AGP, UPPL and BPF have nine, seven and three members, respectively.

The Congress has 26 MLAs, the AIUDF has 15, and the CPI(M) has one legislator, besides one Independent member. PTI SSG SSG SOM