GUWAHATI, Oct 1: In a change of its earlier stance to go it alone in the upcoming Assembly by-polls, the Opposition Congress has decided to contest four Assembly seats only and leave one seat each for regional parties, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Raijor Dal.
Informing mediapersons after holding three meetings with block and district presidents and election committee presidents on Friday, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president, Bhupen Kumar Borah said the final decision has been taken by the APCC election committee to accept the proposal of the regional parties and leave one seat each for AJP and Raijor Dal.
“However, the seats would be left on one condition – that both the parties would have to fully support the Congress in the remaining seats and not field candidates there,” Borah said, adding that the seats to be left for the regional parties will be disclosed only after final deliberations with AJP and Raijor Dal.
The two regional parties have been urging the Congress to field common candidates in the bypolls so that the anti-BJP vote is not divided.
Raijor Dal, meanwhile, has already named its candidates for Thowra and Mariani constituencies.
“We had met AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and Raijor Dal vice-president Kamal Medhi and they were informed that their proposal for seats would be finalised only after the APCC election committee of APCC took a final call,” he said.
“AJP had proposed to contest from Majuli and Tamulpur seats while Raijor Dal had proposed to contest from two of the three seats – Thowra, Mariani or Bhabanipur. But we told the parties that it would be difficult to leave two seats,” Borah said.
Meanwhile, a three-member Assam Congress panel will meet the party high command in New Delhi on Saturday and decide on the party candidates for the upcoming by-polls.
The Election Commission of India had on Tuesday announced October 30 as the date for the bypolls to Gossaigaon, Bhabanipur, Tamulpur, Mariani and Thowra constituencies.
The date for Majuli by-poll will be notified shortly with incumbent MLA and Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal tendering his resignation from the constituency recently.
“We have also sought the support of Left parties – CPI and CPM – for our candidates in the bypolls,” Borah said.