Congress gears up for upcoming Assam Assembly elections

GUWAHATI: The Opposition Congress has geared up for the upcoming Assembly elections in the State with an assertion that the party along with its alliance partners will win 100 plus seats.

In a massive public rally held at Lahorighat in Morigaon district on Thursday, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader in-charge of Assam Jitendra Singh said that the Congress-led alliance will win 101 seats in the Assembly elections. He asserted that the next government in the State will be formed by the Congress and its alliance partners.

The Opposition Congress recently forged a pre-poll alliance with AIUDF, Anchalik Gana Morch, CPI, CPI (M) and CPI (ML).

Addressing the rally the president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Ripun Bora said the Congress was targeting to win 80 seats alone in the assembly elections before the party forged the grand alliance. He asserted that the Congress with the power of its alliance partners is now targeting 100 plus seats.

Bora promised that if the Congress comes to power it will issue identity cards to the people whose names have been enrolled in the final NRC. He said the persons whose were not enrolled in the NRC will get a chance to reapply.

The APCC president also said that land pattas will also be allotted to the people living in the char areas in case his party comes to power.

On the issue of seat sharing, Bora said that the Congress being the big brother of the alliance will take the final call on the issue. He, however, said his party will adopt pragmatic and flexible policy to work out a suitable seat sharing formula. "The seats of the existing sitting MLAs of Congress will remain with the party," added Bora.

Speaking at the rally, MP from Kaliabor and son of former three-time Chief Minister Gaurav Gogoi said that those who questioned the Congress's achievements in its previous 15 years' rule, must visit Lahorighat constituency.

"My father, late Tarun Gogoi had given huge impetus to the development of Lahorighat which was once the most underdeveloped constituency. My father believed that Assam could progress only when the Hindus and Muslims will remain united," Gogoi said.

Gogoi added that the last five years of the BJP regime in Assam has widened the gap between the rich and poor. "The BJP is conspiring to make the Assamese people poor so that they become dependent on the ruling party's beneficiary schemes. They think that when the Assamese will become beneficiaries they will cast their votes in favour of the BJP," he said.

Even though Ripun Bora has said that the Congress will not leave the seats of its present MLAs to the alliance partners, AIUDF is claiming that the party's position in some of the sitting MLAs seats is better than the Congress.

Thursday's public rally were attended by several top Congress leaders including the chairman of Minority department of AICC Nadim Javed, AICC leader in charge of Assam Shakeel Ahmed, Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia, MP Pradyut Bordoloi and sitting MLAs Rakibul Hussain and Rekibuddin Ahmed.

The APCC on Thursday also organized a State-level social media and IT conclave in the city.

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