Guwahati: Congress candidate from Kaliabor Lok Sabha constituency in Assam, Gourav Gogoi, son of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, has been asking the rural people on his campaign trail to opt for the ‘ever smiling face’ of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi rather than the ‘stern looking face’ of the BJP’s Narendra Modi if they want to see a a prosperous , harmonious and peaceful Assam after the polls.
“Look at Modi’s posters and see how sternly he is looking at you and look at Rahul Gandhi’s poster and see the love behind his ubiquitous smile that wins hearts of crores in the country. Modi is looking sternly as he wants to create a Gujarat in Assam,” Gourav Gogoi said when he addressed a poll meeting in interior Muslim-dominated areas in the constituency.
“We don’t need a Gujarat in Assam. In Gujarat Modi doesn’t work for the poor and downtrodden, for women empowerment but for the big industry houses. We (Congress) in Assam work for development and empowerment of poor, women, youth and old. So, cast your vote to prevent Modi and the BJP from converting Assam to a Gujarat,” said Gourav.
He is contesting his first election from his Kaliabor constituency, considered a fiefdom of Gogoi family. He is engaged in a 13-cornered contest and the main fight is with the BJP’s Mrinal Kumar Saikia and Dr Arun Kumar Sarmah of the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
He said it was not Narendra Modi who had come to call on the people of Assam at the time of floods and riots but Rahul Gandhi who had come to be with the people of Assam at the time of pain and distress.
“It reflects that Rahul Gandhi has a heart for your welfare and development,” Gourav said.
Kaliabor people had earlier sent his father Tarun Gogoi to the Lok Sabha on three occasions – 1991,1998, 1999 – and his uncle Dip Gogoi in 2001 (by-election), 2004 and 2009.
“Your blessings are invaluable for me. It was invaluable too for my father who first became an MP from here then a Union Minister and finally the chief minister of Assam. You just give me 10 per cent of the blessings you had showered on my father, I will repay with 200 per cent efforts while working for your development and well being,” he said.
The constituency is dominated by Muslim voters in most of the Assembly segments. Muslim voters here have shown loyalty to Congress over the years. It has been in the Congress grip since 1991, barring the period between 1996-1998.
The absence of a formidable candidate from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which is a political party of religious minority groups, has worked well for Gourav as it will help Congress to sweep Muslim votes once again.
The AIUDF has fielded Bijoy Tiru, who is not a Muslim and has hardly any popularity in the constituency of a total of 7,45, 224 voters.
