Congress to leave one seat each to AJP, Raijor Dal in Assam bypolls

GUWAHATI: The Assam Congress on Friday announced that it will contest four out of the six seats where by-poll will take place in the coming months and left one seat each to Raijor Dal (RD) and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP).

The two regional parties, which had formed an alliance and contested the March-April Assembly election separately from the Congress-led grouping, have not finalised their decision to accept the offer of the grand old party.

"Our three different committees met today and arrived at a decision to put up a united opposition candidate in each constituency to defeat the communal BJP. So Congress will fight in four seats," Assam Congress President Bhupen Borah told PTI.

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee has decided to offer one seat each to AJP and RD, he added.

Asked which seats will be offered to the two regional parties, Borah said it will be finalised once the two parties accept Congress' offer.

By-election will take place in Thowra, Mariani, Bhabanipur, Tamulpur and Gossaigaon on October 30.

The Majuli seat is also vacant but the by-poll in it will not be held this time as its MLA, union minister Sarbananda Sonowal resigned from the Assembly just hours after the poll schedule was announced by the Election Commission.

Thowra and Mariani seats were bagged by Congress during the Assembly poll but the MLAs resigned and joined the ruling BJP.

A senior APCC leader had said on Thursday that the party is willing to leave the Majuli or Mariani seat to AJP.

RD had announced on Wednesday that it will contest Thowra and Mariani seats and announced the names of both the candidates.

Meanwhile, CPI, which was a part of the Congress-led Grand Alliance during the Assembly poll, has announced fielding Krishna Gogoi from Thowra.

The Congress, which was in power for 15 years in Assam since 2001, had formed a 'Grand Alliance' with AIUDF, BPF, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM), RJD, Adivasi National Party (ANP) and Jimochayan (Deori) Peoples Party (JPP) to fight against the BJP-led NDA in the Assembly election this year.

In the 126-member Assam Assembly, the BJP's strength at present is 59.

The ruling allies -- the AGP has nine and UPPL has five MLAs, while the Congress' strength is 27, AIUDF has 15 members, BPF has three and CPI(M) has one MLAs.

There is one Independent MLA.