Guwahati | January 24 : Assembly elections in Assam will probably be held ahead of Rongali Bihu with both ruling Congress and opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) favouring early polls.
The parties on Monday said they favoured the polls ahead of Bihu and they were up for the battle of ballots. “We want the polls ahead of Bihu,” AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary told journalists. “The Congress also wants the election ahead of Bihu,” Pradesh Congress president Bhubaneswar Kalita said.
Not just early polls, the AGP also wants that the polls are held in five phases. “Taking into consideration that Assam doesn’t have adequate security personnel, the AGP favours a multi-phase, say five-phase, election. This will help minimize rigging and booth-capturing,” the AGP chief said.
The Congress said it would not enter into any pre-poll alliance but was open to pre-poll “understanding”. “We will not have any pre-poll alliance with any party. But, we are open to pre-poll understanding,” Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.
However, the APCC president said they were discussing the issue of alliance though no decision in this regard had been made yet. The Congress forged post-poll alliance with the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) in the 2006 assembly elections.
The AGP had pre-poll alliance with the BJP in the last Lok Sabha election. But given the indications this time around, it will probably fight it alone.
Meanwhile, a team of the Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi, will visit the state on January 28. Official sources said the team would take stock of the state’s poll-preparedness.
The parties on Monday said they favoured the polls ahead of Bihu and they were up for the battle of ballots. “We want the polls ahead of Bihu,” AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary told journalists. “The Congress also wants the election ahead of Bihu,” Pradesh Congress president Bhubaneswar Kalita said.
Not just early polls, the AGP also wants that the polls are held in five phases. “Taking into consideration that Assam doesn’t have adequate security personnel, the AGP favours a multi-phase, say five-phase, election. This will help minimize rigging and booth-capturing,” the AGP chief said.
The Congress said it would not enter into any pre-poll alliance but was open to pre-poll “understanding”. “We will not have any pre-poll alliance with any party. But, we are open to pre-poll understanding,” Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.
However, the APCC president said they were discussing the issue of alliance though no decision in this regard had been made yet. The Congress forged post-poll alliance with the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) in the 2006 assembly elections.
The AGP had pre-poll alliance with the BJP in the last Lok Sabha election. But given the indications this time around, it will probably fight it alone.
Meanwhile, a team of the Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi, will visit the state on January 28. Official sources said the team would take stock of the state’s poll-preparedness.
