New Delhi: Term it as a marriage of convenience, the much-hyped grand alliance (Mahajot) in Assam is running through murky weather as the Congress has decided to snap its ties with All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF). This development will certainly raise a huge question mark ahead of the formation of any possible grand alliance against the BJP before the 2024 general election.
One of the partners of the grand alliance in Assam, Communist Party of India (CPI), however, feel that all the like-minded parties should keep their difference aside to form a strong alliance of like-minded parties. Talking to ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview, CPI MP Binoy Viswam said that in a country like India with so many diversities ups and downs may certainly take place. "All secular and democratic forces should come together and fight against BJP," said Viswam.
Stating that the ball for the formation of a grand alliance ahead of the 2024 general election had already started rolling to find an alternate of BJP, Viswam said, "what happened in Assam is a lesson to everyone. The failure should be analysed by all."
"All stakeholders should keep their differences aside and come under a common consensus," he said.
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It may be mentioned here that ahead of the state Assembly election earlier this year, Congress initiated the move to form a grand alliance (Mahajot) to fight BJP.
Accordingly, 10 like-minded parties including CPI, CPI(M), CPI (ML), AIUDF, BPF and RJD came under the common umbrella of a grand alliance. The alliance was able to bag only 50 seats which was much less than the required number to form the government of 126 member Assam Assembly.
While Congress won 29 seats, AIUDF bagged 16, BPF won 4 and CPM bagged 1 seat. BJP and its allies on the other hand won 75 seats and returned to power for the second time. With the continuous blame and counter blame over the election result, Congress has ultimately decided to snap its ties with the Badruddin Ajmal led AIUDF. Congress also decided to snap ties with Hagrama Mahilary led Bodoland People's Front (BPF). The development took place ahead of the by-poll in six assembly constituencies in Assam.
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A recent resolution adopted by Congress in Assam said that Mahajot alliance partner AIUDF's behaviour and attitude in relation to the BJP has baffled the party members. "The AIUDF leaderships and senior members' continuous praise of the BJP and the Chief Minister has affected public perception of the Congress party," the resolution said. Talking to ETV Bharat, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Bhupen Bora said that the party can't go ahead with such people who praises the BJP. "We have decided to go alone in the forthcoming by-election in six Assembly constituencies in Assam," said Bora.
Bora said that he has also apprised the central Congress leadership over such development. "The AICC has given us full authority to take a call whether to go for an alliance in the by-election or not," Bora said. However, such a bitter end of a grand alliance in Assam would certainly leave a mark on the possibility of forming such a multi-party grand alliance to fight the ruling party at the centre.
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