Akhil Gogoi turns down Mamata Banerjee's offer to join TMC, says willing to be a partner

He said Mamata's proposal and how his party would move ahead would be discussed in a meeting of Raijor Dal

Anti-CAA leader and Assam MLA, Akhil Gogoi has turned down Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's offer to join Trinamool Congress (TMC) and be its president in Assam to take on the Narendra Modi government in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"I visited Kolkata for the third time on Friday on Banerjee's invitation and held discussions on Friday and Saturday. Top political activist, Prashant Kishore was also in the meeting. I have told them that i don't want to join TMC but our party, Raijor Dal can be a partner of Trinamool and all other regional forces in the country to remove Modi government in 2024," Akhil told reporters in Guwahati on Sunday.

He, however, said Mamata's proposal and how his party would move ahead would be discussed in a meeting of Raijor Dal.

"I have told her that Raijor Dal is a regional force on which people of Assam have faith that it can be an alternative of BJP and RSS. So we want to be a part of Mamata's efforts to unite all regional parties across the country ahead of 2024 polls. We are in favour of a regional front with Mamata Banerjee at the front. Banerjee can be the Prime Ministerial candidate but there can be discussion later with Congress too," Akhil said.

Read | Mamata's alliance in making to oust BJP in 2024: Gogoi

Gogoi, who was arrested during the anti-CAA agitation in December 2019, came out of jail on July 1 this year after a special NIA court's order. Assam police booked him for sedition charge and the NIA charged him of having links with the Maoists but the court cleared him from all the charges.

Akhil contested the Assembly elections from within judicial custody and became an MLA from the prestigious Sivasagar constituency in Assam. Assembly elections in Assam was held in March-April.

Akhil has been opposed to the BJP and RSS saying both are trying to divide people on religious lines to win elections. He has been vocal against BJP-led government in Assam and its policies including the CAA. "There is an undeclared emergency in India at present under Modi government. So the opposition parties are trying to unite themselves like they had done after the emergency in 1975," he said.