GUWAHATI: Regional party Raijor Dal on Wednesday released its first list of 11 candidates for the Assam Assembly elections, even as the ruling BJP targeted the Congress over what it termed “dynastic” politics in the latter’s first list issued a day earlier.
The Raijor Dal candidates include its working president Romen Chandra Borthakur (Jalukbari), former president of the All Assam Minorities Students’ Union Azizur Rahman (Dalgaon) and former Congress leader Abdur Rashid Mandal (East Goalpara).
The Jalukbari seat in Guwahati has been held by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma since 2001.
Other Raijor Dal candidates are Anjan Talukdar (Manas), Mehboob Muktar (Dhing), Alok Nath (Tezpur), Dulal Chandra Barua (Sissiborgaon), Rahul Chetry (Margherita), Lakhyajyoti Gogoi (Digboi), Ratan Daw (Bokakhat) and Gyanashree Bora (Mariani).
Both the Raijor Dal and the Congress have fielded candidates in Margherita, indicating that the stalemate in their alliance talks has continued.
On Tuesday, Raijor Dal had criticised the Congress for “unilaterally” releasing its first list when seat-sharing arrangements between the two parties were yet to be finalised.
The Congress has been working for the past few months to stitch together a grand alliance of opposition parties to defeat the BJP.
The Maulana Badruddin Ajmal led All India United Democratic Front, the largest opposition party after the Congress, has already stated that it will not join the Opposition alliance.
Meanwhile, the BJP claimed that the Congress list lacked freshness.
“I wouldn’t call this a list of candidates but a list of inheritors. You won’t find the names of ordinary Congress workers there. The list reflects family politics,” CM Sarma told media persons, adding, “You will find ordinary BJP workers on the party’s list.”
The Congress list included Lok Sabha member Gaurav Gogoi (son of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi), Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia (son of former Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia), MLA Diganta Barman (son of former Chief Minister Bhumidhar Barman), Tanzil Hussain (son of Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain), Prateek Bordoloi (son of Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi), Pranjal Ghatowar (son of former Union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar) and Pallabi Saikia Gogoi (daughter in law of former MLA Membor Gogoi).