Congress forges alliance with AIUDF, others for Assam polls

GUWAHATI: The Congress today put to rest all speculations by announcing its alliance with five other parties for the Assam Assembly elections scheduled for April.

Announcing the alliance, Assam Pradesh Congress President (APCC) president Ripun Bora said, “We have been holding discussions with all other political parties opposed to the BJP. And today, we have come to a conclusion to ally with five other parties who share a common goal with us.

“The parties are CPI, CPI (ML), CPI (M), All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM). But, our door will still remain open for any other like-minded party to join the alliance.”

He made the announcement in presence of Chhattisgarh chief minister and All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer Bhupesh Baghel, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik and secretary Shakeel Ahmad Khan and other leaders of Congress and allies, including Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi, AGM leadxer Ajit Bhuyan, AIUDF leader Aminul Islam and others.

Elaborating on the alliance, AGM leader and Rajya Sabha member Ajit Kumar Bhuyan said: “This is a historic alliance. It has ended the uncertainty. Noted intellectuals like Hiren Gohain and a host of political analysts have suggested us that multi-cornered contests would be facilitating the BJP to retain power. And, since the common goal of all of us to emancipate Assam from the clutches of a party that has been irreparably detrimental to the Assamese society, we decided to go ahead with the alliance.”

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“We are still in touch with a number of other smaller parties who share our common goal for a united fight to dethrone BJP and its allies,” the veteran journalist added.

Asked about Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and the newly floated parties of the Barak Valley -- Barak Democratic Front and Barak Ekta Party, Bhuyan said: “We have extended invitation to all parties who are not with the BJP. I am hopeful, they will also consider the proposal.”

Sources said, after the BJP state united parted ways with the BPF during the Bodoland Territorial Council elections last month, the ally of the BJP at Dispur was awaiting BJP central leadership’s response on retention of the alliance in the Assembly elections. The sources added that the BJP might not renew the alliance.

About seat sharing, he said: “We have just forged the alliance. We’ll work out the seat sharing module in due course of time. Now that we are united, I am sure we will come out successful in throwing the BJP out of Assam.”