GUWAHATI: In yet another political development the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has joined hands with the Congress led 'Grand Alliance' or 'Mahajoot' ahead of the Assam Assembly Elections slated to be held on March 27. The RJD will field one candidate in the ensuing election.
The Congress is contesting the Assembly elections in alliance with the AIUDF, Bodoland People's Front (BPF), CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) and the Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM), with the joining of the RJD, the number of constituents in the Grand Alliance has gone up to eight.
Reportedly, the RJD president from Assam, Shonarul Shah Mustafa confirmed the formal joining of the party with the opposition grouping. He further informed that the RJD will contest from the Tinsukia constituency which will go to polls in the first phase on March 27. The party has decided to field Hira Devi Choudhury for Tinsukia, which has a large number of Hindi- speaking people.
As per reports, talks are being held between central leaders of the RJD and the Congress to finalise the seat-sharing agreement for the second and third phase of polling
Elections to the 126 seats will be held in three phases in March 27, April 1 and April 6.
The parties have recently announced the name for the 47 seats which will be held in March 27, out of this the Congress will contest 43 constituencies while AIUDF, CPI(ML), AGM and the RJD will fight in the four other seats. The remaining 39 and 40 seats will go to polls on April 1 and April 6.
Earlier in February RJD chief and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav visited Guwahati wherein he gave a green signal of joining the parties opposed to BJP, he also expressed his desire to target the Hindi-speaking voters in Assam and help the alliance parties to defeat the saffron party.