Stitching alliance in Assam to dethrone BJP: State Cong Chief

Guwahati, September 28 (PTI): The Congress is all set to lead an opposition ''Mahajoot'' with like-minded parties like the AIUDF, Left and some ethnic groups in Assam to take on the BJP in the assembly elections slated to be held early next year, the state Congress president said.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Ripun Bora also said that the Congress will contest about 90 seats out of the 126 in the state and asserted that the next chief minister will be from the Congress.

"We will fight the next Assam assembly elections under a ''Mahajoot'' where the Congress will be the majority stakeholder. The AIUDF, Left and some ethnic groups will be part of it," he told PTI over phone.

The AIUDF, headed by Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal, and a new regional party formed by Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan have already given their nod to fight the next assembly elections together with the Congress.

The APCC president, who has been working to stitch the alliance, said he has conveyed to the Congress high command about the initial talks with other parties and got an in-principle approval for it.

"The Congress will contest in about 90 seats and the other political parties will contest in the rest of the 36 seats. Since we will be the major stakeholder, naturally the chief minister will be from the Congress," he said.

Mr Bora, considered to be a front-runner for the chief ministership, if the Congress is voted to power, however, made it clear that no one will be projected as a chief ministerial candidate and it will be decided by the MLAs after the polls, with the approval of the high command.

He also slammed the BJP-led state government for its alleged "all round failure" in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people.

"Not a single section of the society is happy with the BJP government in Assam," he claimed.

He exuded confidence that the next government in Assam will be formed under the leadership of Congress after dethroning the BJP-led alliance.

"We will form the next government in Assam. The BJP may try to polarise the electioneering but it would not be successful," he said.

Bora, who was one of the eight Rajya Sabha MPs suspended by the Chairman of the Upper House in the Monsoon session of Parliament, termed the action against them as the "darkest day" in the parliamentary history of India.

"The Congress participated in the debate on the three farm bills. We just wanted voting on the bills but it was denied by the chair. It was the most undemocratic act to deny our rights," he said.

Bora said if they had not protested against the denial of their rights in the House, history would not have forgiven them.

"As people's representatives, if we are not allowed to raise our voice, where will we do that," he asked.

The eight MPs were suspended over their "unruly behaviour" during the passage of the two key farm bills.