Guwahati: After holding the final rounds of talks, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Friday decided to leave one seat each to Lurinjyoti Gogoi led Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Akhil Gogoi led Raijor Dal and contest in four assembly constituencies in the forthcoming state assembly by-polls.
The by-polls to the five seats of Thowra, Mariani, Bhabanipur, Tamulpur and Gossaigaon will be held on October 30.
The APCC has finalized its candidate in three of the six constituencies for the upcoming state assembly by-polls.
Presently, the Majuli seat is also vacant; the by-poll date for the seat was not announced yet as union minister Sarbananda Sonowal who was the legislator from the seat has resigned as Majuli MLA only after the election commission announced dates for by-polls in the state.
Interestingly, APCC has decided to leave one seat each to AJP and Raijor Dal, followed by a condition that both the regional parties have to support the Assam Congress in five assembly seats in the upcoming by-polls, informed the state Congress chief Bhupen Borah.
Speaking to the media, APCC president Bhupen Borah said, “Following the direction of the Assam Pradesh election committee, APCC has decided to leave one seat each to both the regional parties, we have also invited Raijor Dal vice president Kamal Medhi and discussed about the development. Similarly, we had a discussion with AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi about leaving one seat to AJP. Further, we took the final approval in this regard from AICC secretary Jitendra Singh through a virtual meeting.”
It is noteworthy to mention that though APCC has yet not declared officially the names of the constituencies which they are going to leave for Raijor Dal and AJP, however, it is learned that AJP had earlier requested for Majuli and Tamulpur seats whereas, Raijor Dal has requested for Thowra, Bhabanipur and Mariani seats.
The Majuli seat is also vacant but the by-poll in it will not be held this time as its MLA, union minister Sarbananda Sonowal resigned from the Assembly just hours after the poll schedule was announced by the Election Commission.
Thowra and Mariani seats were bagged by Congress during the Assembly poll but the MLAs resigned and joined the ruling BJP.
RD had announced on Wednesday that it will contest Thowra and Mariani seats and announced the names of both the candidates.
Meanwhile, CPI, which was a part of the Congress-led Grand Alliance during the Assembly poll, has announced fielding Krishna Gogoi from Thowra.
The Congress, which was in power for 15 years in Assam since 2001, had formed a ‘Grand Alliance’ with AIUDF, BPF, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM), RJD, Adivasi National Party (ANP) and Jimochayan (Deori) Peoples Party (JPP) to fight against the BJP-led NDA in the Assembly election this year.
In the 126-member Assam Assembly, the BJP’s strength at present is 59. The ruling allies — the AGP has nine and UPPL has five MLAs, while the Congress’ strength is 27, AIUDF has 15 members, BPF has three and CPI(M) has one MLAs. There is one Independent MLA.
