Congress mulls alliance in Assam to check BJP

Guwahati: Bogged down by debacle of the Congress party, former three-time Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi here on Wednesday said that his party should start working on a broader alliance of secular forces to decelerate the victory of BJP.

The veteran Congress leader said that he was not opposed to idea of roping in political forces presently in alliance with BJP like regional Asom Gana Parishad.

It is significant that a large section of AGP leaders are not happy over the alliance with BJP.

Pointing out that it was the division of opposition that BJP is growing everywhere, Mr Gogoi said, “I have told this to Congress president Sonia Gandhi also. We should not hesitate in doing some compromise here and there on small issues to check the communal forces.”

Asserting that alliance should be based the basic principles of secularism, democratic values, tolerant practices and liberal policies of like-minded parties across India to resist the communal forces, Mr Gogoi said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is running one-man show. Federal essence of our democracy is at stake. “

He however said that BJP can fool the people for sometime, not for ever.

Admitting that one year rule of BJP is not enough and chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal should be given more time to fulfill the assurances given to electorates, Mr Gogoi said, “We should utilize this period to unite ourselves.”

Stressing the need of an united opposition Mr Gogoi identified CPI, CPI-M and AGP as option for a broader alliance in the state.

Mr Gogoi however rejected the idea of having an alliance with All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). “We will not go with AIUDF. They are also communal. If we enter into an alliance with AIUDF, it will be a compromise with basic principles. I want only secular forces to unite,” said Mr Gogoi.

Expressing confidence that Congress in alliance with secular forces will come back to power, Mr Gogoi said that popularity of the BJP government is already on the wane and it will erode very fast. He also referred the vote percent of recently concluded bye-elections in Dhemaji where victory margin of ruling BJP has come down significantly.