Anti-CAA activist Akhil Gogoi proposes united opposition against BJP

GUWAHATI: In a recent political development jailed anti-CAA activist and President of the newly formed regional party, Raijor Dal in a written letter has urged all the opposition parties to field one common candidate against every BJP nominee.

In an effort to defeat the incumbent government, Gogoi also offered not to contest the election and to unite the opposition against the BJP in the upcoming Assam Assembly Election 2021.

While addressing a press conference, the party president Bhasco De Saikia conveying the message from Akhil Gogoi stated, the strategy adopted by the Congress-led Grand Alliance is not sufficient to defeat the BJP.

"We have to have an understanding on every seat so that there is only one candidate against the BJP," added Saikia.

The "open letter" written in Assamese is addressed to the "leaderships of the opposition political parties of Assam.

Gogoi was arrested in December 2019 during the anti-CAA protest in the state. Ever since the peasant leader has been in jail. His party Raijor Dal was launched in October 2020 with the help of 70 indigenous organisations of Assam. The party has formed an alliance with another regional party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) backed by the apex students' body of the state- All Assam Students' Union (AASU).

Both the parties born out of the ant-CAA movement resorted to contest the elections in an alliance.

Clarifying the party's stand on refraining to join the Grand Alliance, the party said that it was because of the AIUDF as they believe "AIUDF is also a communal force and complements the BJP on many issues."

Gogoi further accused Congress for joining hands with AIUDF, which will only fuel BJPs intent.

The Congress has formed a grand alliance with AIUDF, CPI, CPI (M), CPI(ML), BPF and Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM) to fight the upcoming assembly election against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The BJP on the other hand will be going to polls with the allies-Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL)- its partner in the Bodoland Territorial Council.

Of the total 126 seats in Assam Assembly, elections to 47, mostly in Upper Assam, will be held on March 27, while 39, in Barak Valley and Central Assam, will go to polls on April 1 and voting in the remaining 40 seats in Lower Assam will be held in the final round on April 6.

Also Read: Girls Allegedly Stripped, Forced to Dance by Policemen in Maharashtra, Probe On

Also Watch: Arvind Kejriwal will not visit Assam for Assembly Polls Campaign