Assam: As opposition alliance process derailed, TMC now eyes Nagaon

Silchar: After the opposition alliance process derailed in Assam, the TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had asked the state unit to field candidates in as many as seats they deem worth contesting, a source in the party stated. Apart from their first choices Karimganj and Lakhimpur, the TMC now also eyeing the Nagaon seat, the source indicated. In the weekend, Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, the national general secretary of the TMC would meet former MP Susmita Dev and Assam unit chief Ripun Bora to finalize the number of seats.

On Wednesday, Susmita Dev was briefed by Pratik Jain, the head of Indian Political Affairs Committee (I-PAC), the private agency that had been working for the TMC for the last few years to gauge the public moods, about the scenario in Assam. Susmita told this correspondent that Mamata Banerjee was very much upset with the Congress as they unilaterally prepared their panel of candidates in all the 14 seats in Assam. Banerjee had reportedly asked Assam unit that since the workers and the supporters were eager to contest in Assam, hence the party should respect their sentiment and act accordingly.

In the initial stage, the TMC had been demanding four seats in Assam. But the party was ready to contest at least two seats, particularly in Karimganj and Lakhimpur. The picture started to turn a hazy look once Banerjee declared that her party would contest in all seats in West Bengal without any alliance. In a reciprocal retort, the Congress in Assam too decided not to leave any seats to the TMC.

The Bengal based party had a considerable impact among the Muslims, and in Assam too they were eyeing seats like Karimganj which had more lakh Muslim votes in comparison with the Hindus. Now the TMC was planning to field candidate in Nagaon which was a Muslim dominated constituency. Interestingly,  Karimganj and Nagaon were the two seats where the Congress had a brighter chance. But the presence of the TMC meant a division of Muslim votes the Congress was confident of scoring.

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