’21 Assam poll: BJP confident as Cong seeks alliance

By Sujit Chakraborty Guwahati/Agartala, Dec 30 : While the ruling BJP appears to be much ahead in its campaign to retain the power in Assam, the main opposition Congress is facing drawbacks in its efforts to form Bihar like ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (Grand Alliance) in order to make a comeback.
The Congress recently suffered a major setback after the death of three-time former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi last month and the recent exit of the two senior Congress leaders also sitting MLAs — former Assam PWD Minister Ajanta Neog and dynamic young leader Rajdeep Gowala.
Neog and Gowala had met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his two-day visit to Guwahati on Saturday and Sunday. Shah, the former state BJP chief, visited West Bengal in the third week of this month when dissident Trinamool Congress heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari along with several other MLAs and MP joined the BJP, formally launched the ruling saffron party’s campaign for next year’s Assam Assembly polls on Saturday.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, was already in a cheering mood as the party pulled off excellent results in the recent elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and the Tiwa Autonomous Council (TAC) in Assam.
After the outcome of the BTC polls, the BJP dumped the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and announced to support its new allies the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and Gana Suraksha Parishad (GSP) to take power in the politically significant autonomous body.
The BJP in the December 7 and 10 BTC polls fought against the BPF despite ruling Assam together since 2016 along with the AGP. Assam Congress Spokesperson Rhituporna Konwar said his party would form a Mahagathbandhan with the Left parties, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) led by jailed leader Akhil Gogoi, various tribal and local parties besides the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), a Muslim-dominated party in Assam.