GUWAHATI: With the Congress grappling with plummeting popularity, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is hoping to make inroads into Assam by faring well in Friday’s elections to the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC).
The GMC has 60 wards and the AAP is contesting 39 of them. It is trying to grow in the state at the expense of the Congress.
AAP’s Assam state coordinator and national council member Bhaben Chowdhury exuded confidence the party would do well.
“We feel we will perform well. The (ruling) BJP also said that we will be in the second position,” Chowdhury said.
He claimed people were supporting the AAP wholeheartedly. He said the party workers received hospitality at a number of houses during campaigning.
“Some people also visited our party office to ask why we have not fielded candidates in their wards. Some others asked why we did not campaign in their areas,” Chowdhury said.
He said a lot of city denizens turned up spontaneously on Wednesday when the party’s Delhi MLA Atishi Marlena had taken part in a roadshow. Marlena had lashed out at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for allegedly failing to provide the basic amenities to people.
Chowdhury said the AAP’s growing popularity could be gauged also from the fact that 159 aspirants had applied for its tickets.
The AAP had opened its account in Assam’s civic bodies by winning two wards in Tinsukia and Lakhimpur recently.
“We have been working for a while to build the party in Assam. After a lot of people joined us, we thought we should contest the GMC elections,” Chowdhury said.
The Congress is contesting in 54 wards, the highest by a party. The BJP fielded candidates in 53 wards and left the remaining seven for ally Asom Gana Parishad. During campaigning, all the parties made a series of promises to woo the voters.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had led the BJP’s campaign. The Congress campaign was spearheaded by the party’s state chief Bhupen Borah.
There are 197 candidates in the 57 wards. Altogether 7,96,829 voters –3,96,891 males, 3,99,911 females and 27 belonging to the third gender section – are eligible to exercise their franchise. The votes will be counted on April 24.