The Congress in Assam on Saturday invited all other Opposition parties to join hands with it in order to achieve the composite target to beat the ruling BJP in next year's Assembly elections amid the birth of two new regional parties by organisations opposed to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
"No political force can dethrone the BJP in Assam without the assistance of the Congress. If these parties truly feel that the BJP is the principal enemy of the people of Assam and their interests, then they should join hands with the Congress and fight the electoral battle of 2021 together," senior Congress leader and leader of the Opposition in Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia said.
Saikia's call came at a time two new regional parties formed by the influential All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and Akhil Gogoi-led Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) decided to contest the elections but maintaining equal distance from the BJP and the Congress.
The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), formed by the AASU and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) are planning to contest in at least 80 of the 126 seats while the Raijor Dal, another party formed on Friday by the KMSS and a few other local organisations are also planning to field their candidates with CAA as their main poll plank against the ruling BJP and its allies.
The announcement by the parties that they would not join hands with the BJP or the Congress made leaders of the ruling party happy saying division of the anti-CAA votes would help them to retain power. The KMSS, AASU, AJYCP and several other organisations had led the massive anti-CAA agitation that rocked most parts of Assam in December-January. The agitation left the BJP a little worried fearing that the sentiments of the Assamese people against the CAA could turn into votes against it.
Grand Alliance in the making?
With the new anti-BJP regional parties unwilling to join hands ahead of polls, the Congress is trying hard to give shape to the "Mahajot or Grand Alliance" with Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front, Left parties and all others opposed to the CAA and the BJP. Ajmal has "in-principle" agreed for the alliance and is discussing the modalities.
Stating that the Congress was open for adjustments with all anti-BJP forces, Saikia said, "The new parties should not tar the Congress and the BJP with the same brush as enemies of Assam and thereby mislead the electorate," he said in a statement.