Assam | Mamata Banerjee, Yogi to go head to head in state today
GUWAHATI | April 5, 2019:
The chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee and Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Aditya Nath will be in Assam to kick of the campaign for their respective party on Friday.
While the Trinamool Congress chief will campaign for her party from Muslim-majority Dhubri, Yogi will campaign at Hojai.
Both have a strong connect with All India United Democratic Front chief Badruddin Ajmal — who represents and is contesting Dhubri, and hails from Hojai.
BJP MLA from Hojai, Shiladitya Dev, in a Facebook post wrote the "Hindu saint" will address an election rally at Hojai Bihutoli.
More than 400 km apart, Mamata will address a rally at Dhubri.
Trinamool's Assam unit chief Gopi Nath Das said, "Didi will address the rally immediately after the Jumu'ah namaz. The rally will begin at around 1 PM and we are expecting a turnout of about 1 lakh at the rally".
The Jumu'ah is the congregational prayer that Muslims hold every Friday, just after noon.
AITC has fielded nine candidates in the state, of which two are in the Bengali-majority Barak Valley, Karimganj and Silchar.
Besides Dhubri, the party is also contesting Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Guwahati, Mangaldoi, Nagaon and Jorhat.
"People have voted all the other parties in Assam to power and being betrayed. So, we have urged the people of the state to give us a chance and the party is sure to get its first parliamentarian from the state in this general election," claimed the party's state chief.
Party insiders said that the party is eyeing to win at least three seats from the state including one in the Barak Calley.
The party's fight will be for state's 'doubtful' voters, a label used by the Election Commission against those voters who failed to provide their citizenship proof and are barred from casting votes.
Source: TOI
