After hobnobbing with Congress, Radheshyam Biswas back to AIUDF

Special Correspondent

Silchar: Election time is also the time to turn coat. Radheshyam Biswas, AIUDF MP of Karimganj, has been in news for some time. The political firmament of the border Lok Sabha seat (SC) with 5 assembly constituencies of Karimganj and 3 in Hailakandi has been agog with hot discussions about the hobnobbing of Biswas with Congress. The party supremo Badruddin Ajmal has been losing grip over the party and its dismal performance in the last panchayat elections has raised question about its very future prospect.

Reports as trickling in the local media of the valley have hinted at the growing disillusionment among the leaders and workers at the way Badruddin Ajmal has been managing the affairs of the party. A good number of them who switched over from Congress to AIUDF have returned to their parent party. Unable to find any acceptable candidate for the Karimganj LS seat, the Congress district committee sent feelers to Biswas to contest. As reported earlier realizing it is no more safe to sail on a sinking boat, Biswas thought it wise to accept the offer for his political survival.

Though he has been in a denial mode, the opposition to his candidature by Gautom Roy and Siddeque Ahmed, former ministers of Congress, came out in the media. Interestingly, the letter of Satu Roy, the Karimganj Congress president, recommending the name of Radheshyam Biswas for nomination to the central selection body, was leaked out to the media. MLA of North Karimganj, Kamalakha Dey Purkayastha, however maintained a neutral stand. Like a man of wisdom, Biswas has now decided to remain with AIUDF. Indications are that the party high command is likely to approve his name for Karimganj seat.

To show he remains loyal and committed to the ideology of his party and to set aside all speculations about him, Radheshyam Biswas at a press-meet held on Friday at Hailakandi made it clear there is no question of deserting AIUDF and joining Congress. He dismissed the media reports as baseless and misleading and an attempt to sully his image as a public leader. He reiterated, “I am with AIUDF and will continue to serve the party to the best of ability.” He also made it clear the parliamentary election this time is crucial as the opposition is united to block the return of NDA government at the Centre. Relevant to say in 1991, Biswas contested as Janata Party candidate from Karimganj and lost. Since then, he was lost in the crowd, but the emergence of AIUDF gave him a new lease of life.

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