Assam Congress facing internal turmoil ahead of change in party leadership

GUWAHATI: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora has broken his silence over ongoing party turmoil today and took a jibe at those who have been criticising and accusing Bora's leadership openly in course of the party's defeat in the recently concluded Assam Assembly Polls.

Bora invited the media to discuss the 'U-turns' taken by the Bharatiya Janta Party-led Assam Government from their poll promises in just one month of forming the government.

While discussing the failures of the government, he also addressed fingers raised at Congress for their failure in the polls and in course of which the party is going through an internal turmoil in terms of choosing a new leader.

After Congress's defeat in Assembly Polls, Ripun Bora tendered his resignation from the post of APCC president, taking all the responsibility for the party's defeat, termed it as 'humiliating' one.

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But in the past few weeks, Congress party leaders have been seen criticising the party's leadership openly.

"It's a common thing. When a party wins everyone wants to take credit, but when it faces defeat only one will be discredited for it," said Bora while speaking with the media.

There were also allegations that the tickets were provided to candidates in exchange for money as well.

Bora said, "Selecting candidates was a collective decision of the party. I have tried to endorse my seven candidates and it must be known to everybody. But none of them received any ticket, hence I stepped back from recommending anyone's name and as a disciplined soldier of the party, I have chosen to go with whatever the party decides."

"Though we performed as per our prediction in Lower Assam and Barak Valley we could not perform well in Upper Assam," added Bora on being asked why people did not buy 'Congress' guarantee'.

The APCC president addressed the media following the one-month completion of the Himanta Biswa Sarma led Assam Government and also criticised the party for taking a 'U-turn' from their promises in such a less span of time.

In the alleged 'U-turns', Bora has taken examples of BJP's failure in delivering 30 units of free electricity for all. "Instead, the government has decided to hike the electricity rate for all. Now if some have not paid their bills and theft power, why would everyone in Assam pay for? Why the government never mentioned it in the last five years?" he said.

"CM wants to implicate Gujarat Power Model in Assam. I must say that the Gujarat model is already outdated and failed. The state has only 25 per cent stake in power distribution. If we follow the same then the Assam Government will privatise power distribution in here as well," Bora alleged.

Secondly, Bora has pointed out how even after two terms, BJP failed in providing Rs 351 daily wages to the tea workers and instead they have given Rs 205 to them.

Bora also criticised the government for not fulfilling its promise to waive off microfinance loans of rural women of the state and instead putting forward a long list of terms and conditions for the eligible beneficiaries.

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