From Abhijit Deb
Guwahati: The drama surrounding Rajya Sabha polls in Assam refuses to die down. With less than 24 hours to go before casting of ballot for the polls on Friday, three Congress supported candidates seem to be ahead in the race, as the chinks have already surfaced among opposition parties which are supporting a consensus candidate for the third vacant Rajya Sabha seat.
With ruling Congress putting up a brave face and announcing that all of three candidates which includes Sultanpur MP Sanjay Singh, APCC president Bhubneshwar Kalita and Bodo Peoples Front Biswajit Daimiary will pass the litmus test of polls on Friday.
Claim by a senior minister Himanta Biswa Sharma that many AIUDF MLA’s will abstain from the voting as they are opposed to the ideology of BJP will help Congress to push its three candidates to the Rajya Sabha.
In fact, it appears that the apple cart in the opposition camps which were supporting veteran journalist Haider Hussain has already been disturbed.
And AGP being the linkman party has not been able to bridge the ideological difference gap between the saffron brigade and minority backed AIUDF.
With reports pouring in late on Wednesday that Ataur Rahman Mazhar Bhuyan, MLA of AIUDF will not be present in Guwahati on Friday on the polling date it already puts the opposition in a back foot as numerically they would be left with 31 candidates less than 1 which is required.
Moreover, the independents have also not cleared the air and the road ahead is tough for opposition consensus candidate Haider Hussain.
The unity which opposition showed while filing nominations on January 28 for an independent consensus candidate seems to have evaporated as the clash of ideologies and vote bank politics have risen above all considerations.
This was evident as in last one week or so as top leaders of BJP, AGP and AIUDF never met to discuss the issue of how to make their candidate win in such a tight situation.
In fact, all the senior leaders of the respective parties are expressing confidence over their success in the polls. However, all are speaking from separate platforms.
Congress as an experienced campaigner has just hit on that lacunae and exploited the issue ideological difference between BJP and AIUDF, which has put both the parties on a sticky wicket just ahead of Lok Sabha elections which could make or mar their prospects of the parties in the Lok sabha elections in the state. More than BJP, AIUDF political fortunes are in stake as they run the risk of antagonizing their minority voter base in the state if their association with saffron brigade comes in for criticism from Congress.
For BJP supporting the consensus candidate as the last moment was a choice which party think tank thought could have gone both ways.
It remains to be seen which party has the last laugh.