GUWAHATI: Regional parties Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Raijor Dal formally announced their tie-up at a joint media conference here with a commitment to unite as a strong regional front and stay away from “national and communal political parties” ahead of the state Assembly elections.
Addressing reporters here on Friday, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi put all speculations of any pre-poll understanding with the Congress-led ‘grand alliance’ to rest, asserting that both the regional parties would maintain “equidistance” from “national and communal political parties.”
Gogoi also said that discussions were underway to have more regional parties of the state in their alliance.
Asked whether the Hagrama Mohilary-led Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) would also be a part of the regional alliance, he answered in the affirmative, saying that deliberations with the party were going on at a rapid pace.
The AJP president further stated that both the regional parties have emerged in the wake of the “anti-people” policies of the BJP-led ruling alliance and the threat posed to Assamese nationalism by the “anti-people Citizenship Amendment Act.”
“Assam is lagging behind in the spheres of education, employment generation while development has not taken place. On the contrary, the rate of crimes of all kinds has increased, which is indicative of the failure of the BJP government,” he alleged, saying the primary poll issue of AJP will be to preserve and protect the Assamese people, their dignity, rights and interests.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhasco de Saikia, working president of Raijor Dal, said that the common goal of both the parties was to establish the strength of regionalism and be uncompromising when it came to protecting interests of Assamese nationalism.
“The anti-people policies of the BJP government and the breach of people’s trust by Asom Gana Parishad have led to the formation of both Raijor Dal and AJP as an alternative front,” Saikia said.
AJP general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan however appealed to the media not to project the regional party as “B teams of either Congress or BJP”.
“We have no reason to be with either Congress or BJP. On the contrary, we can proudly proclaim to be the ‘A’ team of Assamese nationalism and regionalism,” Bhuyan asserted.