The Assam Congress is divided over the nomination of Santius Kujur for the second Rajya Sabha vacancy. The opponents have threatened to take their case to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. According to a former Congress Minister, at least 25 legislators from the Assam Congress are unhappy with the nomination since Kujur is a newcomer. Senior leaders have been passed over. The reason he has been selected is that he represents the tea tribes. It is felt that the community is over- represented. It has a Union Minister apart from the deputy leader of the Assam Congress legislature party and deputy speaker in the Assam Assembly. Other communities with huge populations remained inadequately represented. Besides, it is maintained that a better candidate could be selected from the tea tribes. The dissidents in the Congress think that Kujur’s nomination may have an adverse impact on the parliamentary elections in 2014.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has marginalized the difference of opinion in his party. The AICC has selected Kujur as he has fulfilled a variety of parameters. The Asom Gana Parishad and the BJP have not fielded any candidate for the RS seat. But they are not supporting the Congress candidate. Their reasons are political and should not add strength to the opposition of the dissidents in the Assam Congress to the nomination. Although the number of Congress legislators who are against the nomination is considerable, it is only to be expected that Sonia Gandhi will resolve the crisis. Infighting in the Assam Congress and opposition to Gogoi are familiar features of the state’s politics. Yet, Gogoi has come to power three times in a row.