Guwahati: Opposition parties BJP and AGP have decided to refrain from voting in May 30 Rajya Sabha elections in Assam, in which Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is also a candidate.
BJP state unit president Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said that the party MLAs will not vote in the polls for the Upper House.
“We do not have any candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections and our party will not vote in it,” he said.
The BJP has five legislators in the state.
The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) had also earlier announced of its decision of not voting in the election.
The party had contended that the matter of supporting the Congress candidates does not arise and the Opposition AIUDF’s candidate is not a consensus candidate.
After having served two terms at Dispur, the AGP has only nine MLAs in the present House.
The Congress has fielded Dr Singh and Santiuse Kujur for the two seats.
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which has 18 legislators in the state making it the largest Opposition party, has its Aminul Islam as candidate.
The ruling Congress is expected to bag both seats easily with its 79 MLAs and the support of 12 legislators of its ally Bodoland People’s Front (AIUDF) in the 126-member Assam Assembly. (UNI)