Burying differences, Karimganj Congress unites for Swarup Das

Special Correspondent

Silchar: After much dilly-dallying over the selection of a candidate for Karimganj Lok Sabha seat, district Congress committee has, at last, decided to stand united for Swarup Das, a diehard and dedicated worker from the Katlicherra constituency of the former heavyweight minister Gautom Roy. Burying all hatchet, leaders and workers have pledged to work and campaign for Das who virtually has risen from obscurity to public glare. As reported earlier, another lobby within the party has tried to project sitting AIUDF MP Radheshyam Biswas to contest.

Radheshyam Biswas who came to limelight in 2014 by defeating Congress and BJP has lost much ground in AIUDF due to his poor performance. Moreover, the dismal performance of the party in last panchayat polls in the border district with five assembly constituencies, pushing it down to third slot has not been taken gracefully by the leaders and workers, raising question about his ability to lead the party. In the panchayat polls of 2013, AIUDF hogged the limelight by being on the top. Saminul Haque Barbhuiya, Cachar district party president, on the other hand, set aside all talks of sidelining Biswas and said he will contest on party ticket from Karimganj LS seat.

Gautom Roy and Siddeque Ahmed have all along backed Swarup Das. At one stage, the grass-root workers have threatened to lock the party office at Karimganj. After reading the mindset of the leaders and workers, Satu Roy, Karimganj district Congress Committee president, has no choice than to change his stand and support Das. In order to remove any misconception over the selection of candidate, Satu Roy called a meeting of the leaders and workers from all the eight constituencies of Hailakandi and Karimganj districts on last Wednesday in a hotel of the border town. All pledged in one voice to work and campaign hard for Swarup Das.

Significantly, Gautom Roy and Siddeque Ahmed who were present at the meeting exhorted the workers to put up united face and go all hog for the campaign to drum up support for Swarup Das. The Lok Sabha election is going to be a turning point for Congress to regain lost ground. BJP has to be defeated for which they have to be ready for sustained campaign through mass contact and door to door approach. In fact, Congress has taken edge over BJP by jumping into the campaign by putting up posters and banners of the party.

Also read: Cachar news