GUWAHATI, March 9: Resentment among party workers of two leading parties of the “Mahajot” (Grand Alliance) – Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) – over seat sharing is growing ahead of the Assembly polls with hundreds of Congress workers from western Assam constituencies “gheraoing” Rajiv Bhawan, the party headquarters here on Tuesday morning.
Congress supporters and workers from Gauripur and Bilasipara constituencies in western Assam’s Dhubri district stormed into the premises of Rajiv Bhawan holding placards and shouting slogans demanding tickets to their candidates in the seats which have been left for the AIUDF as part of a seat-sharing agreement.
The protest programme lasted several hours, with some tired protesters, who had travelled about 300km, seen sitting and almost lying on the floor on the premises of Rajiv Bhawan.
The Congress has forged a pre-poll ‘Grand Alliance’ with the AIUDF, Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), CPI, CPI (M), CPI (ML) and the Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM) “with a common objective to prevent the BJP-led NDA from retaining power”.
“We have come all the way from Gauripur to stage this gherao programme here as we feel cheated by the party leadership which had promised a Congress candidate from Gauripur legislative Assembly in the state polls. However, the seat has been left for AIUDF,” Md Abul Kalam Azad, general secretary of Rupsi Block Congress Committee told reporters here on Tuesday.
Azad requested the party leadership for a “friendly contest” in Gauripur and “give a ticket to aspirant Abul Miya”. “We will ensure that our aspiring candidate, Miya, wins the election,” he said.
Meanwhile, another section of supporters of a ticket aspirant from Congress, Amrit Badshah from Bilasipara East constituency, also joined the protest at Rajiv Bhawan.
“We suspect a conspiracy in regard to Amrit Badshah not getting a ticket. But we are 200 per cent sure that he will win…so we want the party to give him a ticket,” a supporter said.
Both Congress and AIUDF have their share of supporters in lower Assam constituencies such as Gauripur and Bilasipara.
Reportedly, workers of both parties have been staging protests over tickets to candidates in several constituencies and have been vandalising the party offices.
AIUDF had recently released its first list of 16 candidates for the Assembly elections. The party has fielded 11 candidates while opting for a “friendly” contest (against the Congress) in five seats.
Congress has released two lists so far, having announced candidates in 43 Assembly constituencies in the first phase of the polls.
“The remaining four seats (in the first phase on March 27) will be contested by the Mahajot alliance partners,” a statement issued by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday evening, informed.