Growth of 'neo-regionalist' forces might impact BJP and Congress' prospect in Assam polls

While the ruling BJP is claiming to win 100+ seats out of the 126 assembly seats, the target of the saffron party is likely to hit several hurdles in Upper Assam areas where dissent continues against the ruling dispensation over the passing of controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) last year despite severe mass protests, writes Anup Sharma, Assistant News Editor of ETV Bharat.

Guwahati:The recent growth of several regionalist forces in Assam might affect the prospect of the ruling BJP and also the Opposition party, Congress in the forthcoming polls slated for April this year.

While the prominent students' bodies including the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) have floated a new political party christened, Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) led by jailed RTI activist Akhil Gogoi have also launched 'Raijor Dal', who will be putting up candidates in the forthcoming polls.

Apart from this Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Bhuyan has also been active in floating a non-political conglomeration of some regional forces Anchalik Gana Morcha, which have been trying hard to unite all the regional forces to counter the BJP in the April polls.

While the ruling BJP is claiming to win 100+ seats out of the 126 assembly seats, the target of the saffron party likely to hit several hurdles in Upper Assam areas where dissent continues against the ruling dispensation over the passing of controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) last year despite severe mass protests. Several of the senior BJP leaders and grassroot party workers have also left the saffron party to join the AJP and Raijor Dal over the party's decision to pass the controversial Bill.

AJP led by former firebrand Aasu General Secretary, Lurinjyoti Gogoi had already intensified the party's campaign across the state focusing the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests that went violent in December 2019 and led to the death of at least five persons in Assam. The AJP is likely to swing the 'Assamese votes' to its favour as their main poll plank is the scrapping of the CAB.

What might boost the prospect of the AJP and Raijor Dal is the proposed alliance between the two parties. "Our stand is very clear. We will try to unite all the regional forces and at the same time maintain an equal distance from the national parties. There is a proposal to ally with the Raijor Dal and a decision in this regard will be taken soon," said AJP chief and former Aasu general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi.

The opposition Congress, which had also opposed the CAA and was banking on a proposed 'grand alliance' with all the regional forces to defeat the BJP, failed to get support from these regional forces. Both the newly floated regional parties have already declined the offer for the grand alliance. The Congress, which is yet to recover from the leadership crisis after the death of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, had also witnessed several senior leaders deserting the grand old party in the recent past.

Although the Congress had tied up with the perfume baron Maulana Badruddin Ajmal led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in the recently held election to the Bodoland Territorial Council yet the alliance failed to achieve any result. Besides, there is opposition from within the party for the alliance with the AIUDF in the forthcoming polls.

It may be mentioned here that the BJP came to power in Assam in 2016 along with its partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF). The saffron party has, however, severed its ties with the BPF in the recent BPF polls and the party will go to polls in April with the AGP and newly floated United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL), which has recently formed the government in the Bodoland Territorial Council with support from the BJP.