Assam polls: Aiming to oust BJP, Congress joins hands with AIUDF, AGM & 3 Left parties

In a desperate attempt to overthrow the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, Congress has announced the formation of a grand pre-poll alliance with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), CPI, CPI(M), and CPI(ML) for the upcoming Assembly polls. A regional party, the Anchalik Gana Morcha, led by newly-formed Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan will also be part of the Opposition alliance.

The tenure of the present 126-member House ends on May 31 and Assembly elections are due in April-May this year. 

"In upcoming Assam Assembly polls, Congress, AIUDF, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), and AGM will fight together to oust BJP. We will keep our doors open for other regional and anti-BJP parties to join us. The Congress has taken the lead to oust all communal forces in the best interest of the nation," said Ripun Bora, President, Assam Congress

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Following the announcement, Congress in-charge of Assam, Jitendra Singh said the parties have come together to save the 'culture and identity' of the state from the 'divisive politics' of the BJP. He asserted that the alliance would win in the Assembly polls.

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"BJP will bag over 100 of 126 seats in Assam"

The saffron party, however, remained confident of returning to power in Assam. Party spokesperson Roopam Goswami termed the "three Cs – Congress, communists and communal (AIUDF) an unholy alliance." He claimed that the Congress and AIUDF had secret understandings in previous polls and voters in Assam had rejected them. This time too, the voters would reject the official alliance and repose faith in the BJP, Goswami added.

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BJP national president JP Nadda who visited the state last week asserted that his party will return to power in Assam in the upcoming elections, bagging over 100 of 126 Assembly seats, as the Sarbananda Sonowal-led government has worked for the all-round development of the state.

Nadda, during his address at the 'Vijay Sankalp' rally, said that the saffron party, since its victory in the 2016 Assam Assembly polls, has gone on to win all elections in the state -- be it Zilla Parishad, panchayat, territorial or autonomous council.

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