Parliamentary Polls In Assam: Coalitions Fluid, Parties Yet To List Candidates

Parliamentary Polls In Assam

* BPF announces Pramila Rani Brahma as the candidate from Kokrajhar

* BJP national general secretary

Ram Madhav arrives in Guwahati

* BJP-AGP parleys on

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Even though the schedule for the 2019 general election was announced by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in New Delhi on Sunday, stands of different political parties with respect to the selection of their candidates and possible alliance mainly between the ruling BJP and AGP in Assam has remained hazy till the filing of this report. This is notwithstanding the fact that the BPF-BJP combine has already made its stand clear with respect to the Kokrajhar Parliamentary seat.

The BPF, in its meet at Barama on Tuesday in the presence of party president and CEM of BTAD Hagrama Mohilary, announced the name of Pramila Rani Brahma — senior party leader and presently Social Welfare Minister of the State — as the BPF-BJP candidate from Kokrajhar Parliamentary seat. The Kokrajhar seat was won by independent candidate Naba Kumar Sarania in 2014 elections.

On the other hand, neither the BJP nor the AGP has yet come out with any official declaration of their alliance. Of course, top leaders of both the parties have been making statements before the media that there is no likelihood of any joint front of the parties during the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. However sources have informed that parleys are on between the parties and also that the talks are heading in a positive direction. It has been further learnt that that the BJP has offered three Parliamentary seats to the regional party. These are Barpeta, Kaliabor, and Dhubri. The AGP, on the other hand, has shown keen interest to field its candidate from the Mangaldoi Parliamentary seat as well. This ongoing speculation over seat sharing has come in the way of the BJP in making a final call on the party’s list of candidates from the State for the general polls.

Meanwhile, talking to media, State BJP president Ranjit Kumar Dass said here on Tuesday that the party’s State Election Committee meeting would be convened on March 15. He further said, “The national BJP has roped in three professional groups to find out the best candidates. The opinion of the State BJP Election Committee on selection of candidates will be sent to the national BJP after March 15 meeting to take the final decision.” Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav reached the city on Tuesday in an attempt to strike a deal with his party’s former Assam ally (AGP). Madhav is likely to hold an important meeting with the top brass of AGP on Tuesday night to pave the way for a possible alliance. Till filing of this report, Madhav was holding a meeting with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

A typical situation has arisen with regard to a remote coalition between the Congress and the AIUDF. Even though a few top Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) leaders favour an alliance with the AIUDF many others including former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi have openly opposed any such alliance. Besides, there have been differences of opinions among top APCC leaders with respect to the party’s tentative selection of candidates for the 2019 general elections. This is true in the cases of Parliamentary constituencies like Guwahati, Tezpur, and Autonomous District (Diphu) where the Congress has not yet found any suitable candidates with the “winnability factor”.

Against this fluid backdrop, it remains to be seen as to how and where the different political parties in Assam would field their candidates for the Lok Sabha election. The probable alliances among parties in the State would also witness interesting combinations in the days to come.

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