Ahead of Assam bypolls, opposition forum names new president after exit of Congress chief

Guwahati: Two days after the resignation of state Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah as the president of the united opposition forum in Assam over differences in seat sharing for bypolls, the alliance on Thursday named its new head. The Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASOM) also resolved to move forward even without the Congress, which had been at the forefront in forming the conglomerate of antiBJP forces ahead of the last Lok Sabha elections.

ASOM general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi, addressing a press conference after an emergent meeting of the alliance here, said, “It has been decided that Rajya Sabha MP and Anchalik Gana Morcha chief Ajit Kumar Bhuyan will be the president of ASOM.”

Jones Ingti Kathar and Suprakash Talukdar have been named as working presidents, he added. “Even without the Congress, ASOM will remain a force and will continue its fight against the BJP and its allied forces. There are many differences among the partners of the alliance, but our united objective is to defeat the communal forces and we remain together on it,” Gogoi asserted.

He claimed that the Congress had betrayed the alliance by declaring its candidate for the Behali constituency, which it had initially decided to leave for the ASOM ally CPI(ML) Liberation.

“They not only decided to contest from Behali, but also named the candidate without so much as informing the other partners. We have decided that on behalf of ASOM, the CPI(ML)L will contest from the seat,” Gogoi said. Asked about ASOM’s stand on the other four seats where bypolls are slated, he said it will be decided after further consultation among its member parties. Another ASOM leader said the resignation of the state Congress chief from the alliance has led to imply the exit of the state’s largest opposition party from the forum.

“It is by interpretation. When the party president has resigned, it implies the party has also exited the alliance,” the leader added.

Bypolls are scheduled for five assembly constituencies of the state, with the ASOM alliance earlier announcing that the Congress will fight in four seats and ally CPI(ML) Liberation will contest the fifth one.

The AICC, however, announced former senior BJP leader Jayanta Bora as its candidate for Behali late on Wednesday.

Bora, who had recently resigned from the saffron party after being denied ticket, joined the Congress.

He switched over to the Congress several hours after being named its official candidate for Behali.

The state Congress chief had on Tuesday night resigned as the president of ASOM expressing “tremendous pressure” after the Congress high command “refused to accept the united opposition partner CPIL(ML) Liberation’s nominee.

Bypoll will take place on November 13 in Dholai (SC), Sidli (ST), Bongaigaon, Behali and Samaguri assembly constituencies as these seats fell vacant with the representatives of these constituencies winning the recent Lok Sabha elections.

The BJPAGPUPPL combine had held four of the constituencies that are going for the bypolls, while one was held by the Congress.