Guwahati: With Rajya Sabha elections, in which Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is a candidate, just two days away, the ruling Congress is rallying in all its ‘disgruntled and dissident’ factions to put up an united front and ensure smooth re-election of Dr Singh.
The party, though almost certain of seeing both its candidates, including Dr Singh, win the polls, is not leaving anything to chance.
The elections for the two seats from Assam, which would fall vacant next month, will be held on May 30 next.
Congress has fielded Dr Singh and Adivasi youth leader Santiuse Kujur, while Opposition AIUDF has put Aminul Islam in the race.
AICC general secretary Parvez Hashmi is camping in Guwahati to oversee the prime minister’s re-election.
He has been holding meetings with the state party leadership, including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, state unit chief Bhubaneswar Kalita, Union minister Paban Sing Ghatowar and the ‘dissident’ legislators.
Kujur’s nomination for the second seat has been publicly opposed by a section of Congress MLAs and Mr Hashmi has been trying to quell any further resentment.
Mr Hashmi and Mr Gogoi, after a party meeting on Monday, had claimed that the Congress was a united front and both its candidates will sail through smoothly.
Party sources said a whip is likely to be issued to all legislators tomorrow after a meeting of all MLAs to discuss voting for the election.
The Congress has 79 members in the 126-member Assam Assembly, while its ally Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) has 12 legislators.
The AIUDF, the single largest Opposition party in the state, has 18 legislators.
The two other Opposition parties, AGP (9 MLAs) and BJP (5 MLAs), have already announced of refraining from voting. (UNI)
