Congress may go solo for Behali if Oppn alliance deadlock persists: Debabrata Saikia
AT Photo: Debabrata Saikia addressing media in Biswanath
Biswanath, Oct 23: Amidst ongoing deadlock over candidate selection for the Behali by-poll seat, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, on Wednesday, announced that if the stalemate within the Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASOM) persists, the Congress won’t hesitate to field its own candidate.
The statement comes moments after ASOM chief Bhupen Kumar Borah resigned from his post citing “tremendous pressure” to resolve the stalemate over the united opposition’s nominee.
Unaware of the development in the alliance, Saikia said that Borah's decision may have stemmed from “disagreements within the alliance over the candidacy of the CPI-ML nominee for the Behali seat”.
“If Bhupen Borah has stepped down, it suggests significant differences regarding CPI-ML's candidate. If the stalemate persists, Congress will field its own candidate after due discussions. Rest assured, it will be a strong contender,” Saikia said, during a party's campaign rally in the constituency.
Saikia also addressed the complexity of voters' choices, noting, “Voters are often conflicted when a good candidate contests from the wrong party, or vice-versa. Our battle is against the BJP, and we must focus on that.”
Highlighting past lessons, Saikia stressed on the need to avoid the vote-sharing mistakes that cost Congress seats to Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad in Upper Assam, urging vigilance against similar tactics by the BJP in this by-election.
Meanwhile, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi reacted strongly to the Congress’s role in deciding the candidate for the united opposition for the Behali seat.
“We have self-respect,” he stated, criticising the Congress for its approach to candidate selection. “We didn’t choose Congress’s candidates, so why should they decide ours? Can they guarantee victory in all seats? They need to set aside their ego and work for the alliance,” he added.
Gogoi further warned the Congress to drop its “lobbying and ego issues” if they wished to maintain a united front. He praised CPI-ML's Bibek Das for being willing to sacrifice his candidacy, yet criticised the opposition for its inability to make a decision.
The now-visible cracks within the Asom Sonmilito Morcha suggest the potential formation of a third front in the state. If this occurs, it will be challenging for the opposition to counter the BJP juggernaut.
