Unsure Congress, BJP make overtures to independents

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, May 6: With neither of them confident of getting an absolute majority in the State assembly elections, both the Congress and the BJP-led alliance have opened communication lines with independent candidates who have better chances of winning.

Ahead of the counting on May 19, the Congress has got in touch with independent candidates Rekha Rani Das Boro (Barama), Misbahul Islam Laskar (Barkhola), zibul Omar (Dhubri) and Aftabuddin Mollah (Jaleswar), sources said. The BJP too has made overtures to Rekha Rani Das Boro and Misbahul Islam Laskar, besides Gha Buragohain (Lakhimpur), Javed Islam (Mankachar) and Rezaul Karim Choudhury (Jamumukh). With the assembly elections likely to be a close fight between the Congress and the BJP-led alliance, there had been predictions that independents could hold a key in government formation.

There are 497 independents candidates in fray in the elections to the 126-member State assembly.

The polling was held in two phases on April 4 and 11.

In the last assembly elections, only two independents had won - Jatin Mali (Palasbari) and Javed Islam (Mankachar).

Many of the independents contesting this time are aspirants who were denied tickets by their respective parties.