Wind blowing in favour of Congress: Gogoi

OUR BUREAU

Guwahati, Feb.17: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the manner in which the visit of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to Assam evoked spontaneity and enthusiasm among the people, clearly indicates that the wind is blowing in favour of the Congress.

Chief Minister Gogoi today said the large turnout of people in the public meetings and padayatra of AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi at Gohpur, Bihpuria, Titabor and Sivasagar is a clear sign that the wind is blowing in favour of the Congress in the run-up to the Assembly elections.

Fed up with the false pre-poll promises of the Modi Government to usher in acche din and u-turns on major issues concerning the State, the people have rallied behind the Congress knowing that ‘it is the most secular, pro-poor and development oriented party’. “Forget acche din and u-turns on major issues concerning the State, the Modi Government has squeezed the flow of funds by withdrawing the Special Category status, changing the funding pattern of Centrally Sponsored Schemes and flood magement programme, suspending North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy, reducing MNREGA, IAY and other pro-poor schemes funds,” he said.

Gogoi said that Prime Minister rendra Modi had taken u-turns on all important issues like pushing back foreigners, on Subansiri dam and land swap deal with Bangladesh, thus bringing its policy of double standards to the fore. “The people of Assam have realised that they were hoodwinked into believing that the Prime Minister would do something for them but left them in the lurch. This policy of double standards will go against the BJP in the Assembly polls,” he added.

The Chief Minister said that the BJP knowing it is on a sticky wicket have entered into alliance with BPF, tacit understanding with AIUDF and inching towards political parties like the AGP to cobble up an alliance to defeat the Congress. “The BJP is nervous and shaky and is trying to cobble an alliance to defeat the Congress. But the people will rally behind the Congress as it had ushered in development during the past 15 years and give them a fitting reply,” he said.

The three-time Chief Minister said the people of the State would vote for his party because of the development work carried out by his Government in the past 15 years. “The Congress came to power in 2001 when the State was passing through the worst period in its history. Law and order had collapsed with development activities coming to a grinding halt. Government employees had to wait for months for their salaries. My Government had to spend its first term putting the State back on the rails. Now employees receive salaries on time and people move around fearlessly even late at night,” Gogoi said.

Gogoi reiterated that the Congress will fight the polls alone and would not enter into pre-poll alliance with any party. “We will contest the polls alone. The Congress will get a majority and form the government on its own,” he said.