Guwahati, Feb 11: Pressure from grassroots workers and local committee members of Raijor Dal to field a candidate in the upcoming Majuli by-election has prompted the regional party to send a central committee of the party to the river island district for interactions and exchange of views ahead of the bypoll.
“Our grassroots workers are on agitation mode and some have even threatened to resign from the party if a candidate from Raijor Dal is not fielded in the by-polls in Majuli. So, as of now, there is immense pressure on the central committee which had decided to extend support to a ‘common’ Opposition candidate in the by-polls,” Raijor Dal president and Sibsagar MLA, Akhil Gogoi said on Friday.
Gogoi however said that “Till date, the party hierarchy does not have any plan to field a candidate from Raijor Dal but given the pressure from the residents and local party unit, our central committee team is in Majuli currently, interacting with people there.”
The 99-Majuli ST legislative Assembly constituency, which has been a BJP bastion since 2016, was vacated last year by former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal after he was elected to the Rajya Sabhaand subsequently included in the Union Cabinet.
The Election Commission of India had on Thursday issued the formal notification for the by-election to the seat, scheduling the poll on March 7, 2022. The results will be declared on March 10, 2022.
The Raijor Dal chief had announced recently that his party would extend support to the Lurinjyoti Gogoi-led Assam Jatiya Parishad, another regional party.
The Congress, which had announced the decision to support the candidate fielded by AJP in Majuli much earlier, maintains the same stance.
“But, we will have to discuss the matter with the Opposition parties. Neither AJP nor the Congress has contacted us in regard to the Majuli by-polls so far though. But of course, the organisational base of Raijor Dal is strong in Majuli,” he said, adding that the Opposition parties have decided to leave the seat to AJP with a common goal of defeating BJP.