Assam: Congress workers "gherao" Rajiv Bhavan, demand party ticket to aspirant

GUWAHATI:

Irate Congress workers of Gauripur constituency on Tuesday, "gheraoed" the party headquarter, Rajiv Bhavan in Guwahati after an aspirant was not given a ticket for the upcoming assembly election.

Reportedly, the party workers from the Gauripur constituency in western Assam demanded a party ticket for an aspirant, Abul Miha.

The Congress, which is in an alliance with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), had left the seat for the latter as part of a seat-sharing agreement, which had left Miha’s supporters in Gauripur angry and dejected, leading to the protest.

“We have travelled 300 km from Gauripur to protest as we feel deprived and deceived by the leadership of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) and All India Congress Committee (AICC)…the party leadership had promised a long time back that we will get a Congress candidate from Gauripur Legislative Assembly in the polls,” Md Abul Kalam Azad, general secretary of Rupsi Block Congress Committee told the media.

Azad requested the party leadership to at least have a “friendly contest” in Gauripur and “give a ticket to Miha”.

“We promise to help Miha win the election,” he said.

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Meanwhile, a section of supporters of another ticket aspirant from Congress, Amrit Badshah from Bilasipara East constituency, also joined the protest at Rajiv Bhawan.

“We sniff a conspiracy regarding Amrit Badshah not getting a ticket. But we are 200 per cent sure that we will make him win this time. Last time he lost by a slender margin of 4000 votes because he fought the election as an Independent,” a supporter, Prasenjit Haldar, asserted.

AIUDF had earlier released its first list of 16 candidates for the Assembly election. The party has fielded 11 candidates while opting for a friendly contest (against the Congress) in five seats.

The Congress, which was in power for 15 years in Assam since 2001, has formed a ‘Grand Alliance’ with the AIUDF, Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) and the Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM) “with a common objective to oust the BJP-led NDA” from office.

Reportedly, Congress party workers in several constituencies in the state have been vandalising the party offices.

(Edited By Gabriel G Momin)