Cong to contest 2021 Assam assembly polls in alliance with 5 parties

The Congress' initiative offorming a 'Grand Alliance' to oust the BJP from power in Assamtook shape on Tuesday with the party announcing it willcontest the forthcoming assembly polls in alliance with fiveother political outfits.

The Congress will join hands with the All India UnitedDemocratic Front (AIUDF), the CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) and theAnchalik Gana Morcha to ensure that the BJP with its ''anti-people policies'' does not return to power, APCC presidentRipun Bora told reporters here.

''Our doors are open for all anti-BJP parties and weinvite the regional political parties to join hands with usagainst our fight with the BJP,'' the Rajya Sabha MP said.

The Congress has taken the lead to oust all communalforces in the best interest of the state and the nation, hesaid.

The party has taken the forthcoming Assam elections''very seriously and deputed senior leaders'' to the state, Borasaid.

A high-level Congress team, led by Chhattisgarh ChiefMinister Bhupesh Baghel, and comprising AICC general secretaryMukul Wasnik, Bihar Congress MLA Shakeel Ahmed and the party'sAssam-in-Charge Jitendra Singh are currently in the state, andheld discussions with the representatives of the five partiesto chalk out the alliance.

''Our central leaders held a series of discussions withthe grassroot to state level functionaries and it was decidedto challenge the communal BJP by uniting the anti-BJP forces,''he said.

Singh said Congress welcomes all parties to comeforward in the interest of saving the culture, language,identity and heritage of the state.

''BJP has indulged in the politics of divide in Assam,the north-east and the country. We will challenge the BJP anddefeat them. It is our appeal to all opposition parties tocome together to save Assam, ensure development and realisethe dreams of the youth,'' he said.

He also alleged that the BJP has put up ''Assam forsale'' by selling off land and the state's resources tobusinessmen from Gujarat and other states.

''The coming together of the six parties is without anypre-condition but merely with a motive to save Assam from theBJP, which has made a mockery of democracy,'' Singh added.

AIUDF general secretary Aminul Islam said that after along wait, six parties have come together and ''we welcome thisinitiative''.

''This is an effort to defeat the communal forces andmaintain harmony among all sections of people in the state,''he said.

Rajya Sabha MP and Anchalika Gana Morcha presidentAjit Kumar Bhuyan said this was a ''historic moment as it isthe demand of the times and the people that an unitedopposition comes together to oust the BJP''.

CPI(M) leader Deben Bhattacharya appealed to theBodoland Peoples' Front (BPF), an ally in the ruling BJP-ledstate government, which was dumped by the saffron party in therecent Bodoland Territorial Council polls, to join thealliance.

The inititative for a 'Grand Alliance' was taken bythree-time former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who had starteddiscussions with opposition parties to take this forward.

His death due to post-COVID complications in Novemberhad delayed the process.

The Congress, which had ruled the state for threeterms since 2001, and had won 26 out of the 126 legislativeassembly seats in 2016, now have only 20 members in the House.

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