Guwahati: The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP) Monday formally announced the name of its brand new party, the 'Assam Jatiya Parishad' (AJP). The party has been floated as a "political alternative' to the ruling BJP by the regional bodies in the run-up to the 2021 polls in Assam.
"We do not wish to be a mere political party -- we wish to be the friends of the people. We have thus adopted a new slogan ghore ghore ami (we are there in every household). We will connect with every household. We will not only connect with the people during election time -- we will be with them throughout," Basanta Deka, convenor of the AJP, moments after announcing the name, said during a press briefing in Guwahati today.
Jagadish Bhuyan, the AJP's state coordinator and former tourism minister (in the Prafulla Kumar Mahanta-led government), speaking on the sidelines of today's programme, said that the party will invite suggestions from the general public, which will be discussed at the AASU's political convention, to be held in November.
The AJP party will include people from all communities and the 30 regional organization, the party's leaders informed, adding that the organizational groundwork of the new party has already been kickstarted in as many as 25 districts across Assam.
The new political party, named as the 'Assam Jatiya Parishad' (AJP), will have "Assam first, always, and forever" as its motto and the party's members shall look to contest in around 80 seats in the upcoming polls, it has been informed.
The AASU and the AJYCP had originally declared plans for a 'political alternative' to the ruling saffron party while the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act raged across Assam. Both regional organizations vehemently opposed the 'CAA', which seeks to fast-track citizenship to 6 non-Muslims communities from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. However, despite staunch opposition, the controversial legislation was pushed through both Houses of the Parliament by the ruling party, which has clear majorities.
On August 19, the AASU and AJYCP formed a 16-member 'Assam Advisory Committee' to give suggestions to them to launch a political unit. Dr.Krishna Gopal Bhattacharjya and Basanta Deka have been appointed as the convenors of the party, and they will be taking all the decisions on behalf of the party.