Congress candidate for Lakshadweep, Mira Borthakur Goswami, contests to protect democracy and preserve the constitution

Congress candidate Mira Borthakur Goswami emphasizes defending the Constitution and democracy, ensuring youth and women's security in the Lok Sabha elections. She criticizes the BJP for attempting to alter the Constitution and implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act, which she believes threatens Assam's land rights. She highlights the need for economic development, addressing unemployment, and ensuring women's participation in decision-making. She claims that the BJP is using electoral bonds to promote corruption and instills fear in women while neglecting their needs. Despite being a direct contest with BJP's Bijuli Kalita Medhi, Goswami expresses confidence in winning and working towards solving the challenges faced by Guwahati, including infrastructure, drinking water, and land rights issues.

The Lok Sabha elections this time is a fight to save the constitution and democracy along with ensuring the future of youth and women's security, Congress candidate for the Guwahati constituency Mira Borthakur Goswami said here.

In an interview to PTI, Goswami said the Constitution has given ''us the right to raise our voice against injustice but there is an attempt to silence people by bringing about a change in it''.

People will, however, vote ''against this move in this election and will exercise their franchise in favour of the INDIA group'', she asserted.

The Congress leader said that the BJP government had brought in the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in a bid to settle Hindu Bengalis from neighbouring Bangladesh.

''This is a dangerous proposition. Landless people of Assam displaced by flood and erosion have been demanding land and documents but they are yet to be rehabilitated,'' she said.

According to Goswami, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that he had talked with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about settling five lakh Chakmas from Arunachal Pradesh in Assam.

Sarma, however, recently claimed that he does not know what Rijiju said but the Centre has not discussed the issue of relocating Chakma or Hajong refugees in Assam with him.

A leader who joined the Congress from the BJP following the CAA protests in the state in December 2019, Goswami said she is happy to have joined the grand old party and is grateful to party leaders for the respect and responsibilities given to her.

''I left the BJP during the CAA protests. Our constitution and democracy are in crisis, corruption is high and electoral bonds are an example of the height of corruption. In such a situation those who have left the Congress are extremely greedy people but I am not so,'' she said.

She claimed as a Congress member she is working for the people and is confident of winning the elections, following which ''I will try my best to solve the problems of Guwahati and also raise the issues of the state in Parliament''.

Goswami, who is also the President of the Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress, alleged the ruling BJP is using women as a vote bank.

''The BJP government has instilled fear in women that if they do not vote for BJP or attend election meetings, their names will be deleted from schemes,'' she alleged.

Women, on one hand, are running after the Rs 1250 being doled out under the 'Orunodoi scheme while on the other they are facing the impact of price rise and finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet, Goswami claimed.

''They are aware the amount they are receiving under Orunodoi is not enough but still they are running after it since prices of all essential commodities have gone up,'' she added.

Half the population in the state is women with the Congress giving tickets to two but the BJP passed the Women Reservation Bill in Parliament and gave ticket to only one in the North East, Goswami said.

''I am committed to helping women participate in the decision-making process and will work for their economic safeguard and security,'' she added.

Goswami, who is locked in a direct contest with another woman candidate Bijuli Kalita Medhi of the BJP, said though Guwahati is not a seat reserved for women, since 2009 it has been represented by them and in the last two Lok Sabha elections the fight was also between two women.

''For the last 20 years, the seat has been held by the BJP. The earlier BJP MP had made some contribution towards the constituency but the sitting MP did nothing, except for laying foundation stones and had no connection with the people,'' Goswami said.

The BJP candidate in this election is asking ''people to make her the MP so that Modiji can become the Prime Minister for the third successive term and not for what she can do for the people. Besides, she said there is no problem in Guwahati and if the candidate cannot see the problem then how will she solve it,'' Goswami added.

Guwahati is considered the gateway to both North East India and South East Asia and is a large constituency, comprising 10 assembly segments, encompassing rural and urban as well as hills and plains and there are challenges galore faced by the people.

''There has not been much development in Guwahati, barring flyovers and a few hotels, but if there is rainfall for an hour, there are artificial floods in almost the entire city and there is a need for a scientific solution to this problem which the BJP has failed to do so far,'' she said.

The ''double-engine'' government has failed to solve the problem of drinking water, youth are faced with unemployment, women are facing the impact of price rise, people, particularly, in the hill areas are complaining that they have not got the land pattas, she claimed.

''I firmly believe that people will vote for the Congress. If I win and go to the Lok Sabha, I will try my best to solve their problems and work among the people,'' she added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)