GUWAHATI: Parties under the umbrella of the ‘grand alliance’ in Assam have decided to formulate a common minimum programme (CMP) and form a coordination committee to strengthen the alliance ahead of the Assembly elections in Assam.
Members of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), three Left parties – CPI, CPI (M), CPI (ML) and regional party, Anchalik Gana Morcha, attended the meeting here on Thursday evening.
Interestingly, not a single Congress representative was present at the meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Anchalik Gana Morcha chief and Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan said the meeting discussed the need to have a common minimum programme and the formation of a coordination committee to strengthen the ‘grand alliance’.
“We have decided to submit a set of recommendations and suggestions to All India Congress Committee (AICC), Assam in-charge, Jitendra Singh in regard to formulating the common minimum programme, which is the basis of any pre-poll alliance, apart from the formation of a coordination committee at the earliest,” Bhuyan said.
He further said no decision in regard to a chief ministerial candidate of the alliance has been taken as yet.
Asked whether the Congress was playing the role of a “big brother” in the alliance, he said the alliance partners respected the grand old party as the senior-most party, but added that none could play the big brother’s role as it would only complicate matters and impede the progress of the alliance ahead of the polls.
On the newly stitched AJP-Raijor Dal alliance, he said the ‘grand alliance’ was hopeful of the two regional parties joining the ‘Mahajoot’ for a “united fight to defeat the BJP in the Assembly elections.”
AJP and Raijor Dal have formed a regional alliance but both have made it clear in public forums that they would stay away from any kind of understanding or pre-poll deliberations with national parties like the Congress or the ruling BJP.