GUWAHATI: Senior Congressman and former Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi has accused the BJP of pressing the panic button by dropping “non-performing” sitting members of Parliament from the candidates’ list.
Gogoi’s riposte was in sharp contrast to BJP general secretary and Northeast in-charge, Ram Madhav’s remark during a press conference here on Sunday that Congress was “clueless” and was “trying to stitch up an unholy alliance with the Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front in a desperate bid to defeat the ruling party.”
Senior sitting BJP MPs such as Bijoya Chakraborty, Ramen Deka, RP Sharma and Kamakhya Tasa apart from Union minister Rajen Gohain have not been considered in the candidates’ list for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Assam by the party high command.
Taking potshots at Madhav for his explanation before the media that there were no differences within the saffron party, Gogoi said that the move sent an indirect message that BJP was pressing the panic button amid dissatisfaction amongst the MPs.
“No we have Number Two BJP leaders such as Sarbananda Sonowal, Himanta Biswa Sarma and others ousting the Number One party leaders who were instrumental in laying the foundation of the party. Leaders like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi have been ignored which indicates that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi wants ‘yes men’ and not intelligent people,” Gogoi alleged.
The veteran Congress leader also alleged that the MPs from Assam have failed to address issues in Parliament, “something which the BJP has indirectly admitted.”
On the BJP accusation of “unholy alliance with AIUDF”, Gogoi downplayed the matter by saying that “no talks on the issue have been going on. If there is any in the coming days, you will come to know.”
“Congress is more popular today as it believes on its ideology and only weak parties like BJP forge alliances before elections. Our fight will be with BJP in the coming elections and we should win at least 10 seats even as we hope to win 14,” he said.
