Rift within 'Mahajot' over seat sharing before assembly polls in Assam

By Pallav Kumar Bora

Tussle over seat sharing and candidature continues unabated before the Assam assembly elections 2021. Resentment over awarding tickets has become a major cause of concern for all major and regional political parties in the state. Sometimes, trouble brews in the grand alliance or ‘Mahajot’ camp and sometimes the newly formed regional parties confront each other over seat sharing. This time it was turn for the Congress again, that too, within a span of two days.

 

In the recent development, hundreds of Congress workers from different parts of Assam gathered at the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) headquarters in Guwahati, Rajiv Bhawan on Tuesday, demanding ticket for their respective candidates.

In the first instance, supporters of 24 Gauripur Constituency Congress ticket aspirant Abul Miya, gathered at Rajiv Bhawan and started demonstrating demanding candidature for their candidate.

 

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The agitated protestors shouted anti-Congress slogans and displayed placards in support of Miya. The protestors were seen citing reasons that the Congress has fared well in the last Panchayat Polls as compared to the Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

 

It needs mention here that sitting legislator from the 24 Gauripur constituency Nijanur Rahman from the AIUDF is the frontrunner for ticket from the constituency.

Adding to the woes of the Grand Old Party, supporters of 27 Bilasipara constituency Congress ticket aspirant Amrit Badshah joined the protests demanding candidature for their candidate.

Sensing that a AIUDF candidate might be fielded at the 21 Mankachar constituency, supporters of sitting Congress Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the constituency Dr Motiur Rahman also demonstrated in front of Rajiv Bhawan much to the worry of the Congress leadership.

 

Another unpleasant situation arose at the Spring Valley resort in Sonapur after two groups got engaged in a scuffle over seat sharing. The incident took place on Sunday when the Congress leadership met at the resort to take some important decisions. Kaliabor Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi and APCC president Ripun Bora were also present at the meeting. Reportedly, Gogoi had to intervene to bring the situation under control.

 

All is not well with the two newly floated regional parties Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Raijor Dal (RD). It was also speculated that there may be a split between the two parties after reports of differences among the party leadership over seat sharing surfaced.