Assam's opposition to sound poll bugle on Dec 1, corruption to be major poll plank

Guwahati: The Congress-led 15-party United Opposition Forum (UOF) will sound poll bugle for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Assam on December 1, party leaders said after a meeting in Guwahati on Friday.

UOF general secretary and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi said the major poll plank of the opposition will be the corruption of the Chief Minister’s family.

“We are preparing a chargesheet against the BJP-led government in Assam and the Chief Minister, which will be completed shortly. We will table it in the next meeting at Dibrugarh on November 30,” Gogoi also said.

The opposition is also preparing a common minimum programme for the upcoming elections and it will also be tabled in the next meeting in Dibrugarh, Gogoi said.

Assam Congress Legislature Party (ACLP) deputy leader and former minister Rakibul Hussain said the Chief Minister is scared of facing United Opposition in the upcoming poll.

“Their party position is worse in Upper Assam. The Chief Minister himself explains what is going on in Lower Assam,” Hussain said.

UOF chief spokesperson and Raijor Daal president Akhil Gogoi said the BJP talks of Hindutva every time, but why do they dare to arrest Ajmal who is spreading communal venom every day.

“As the election is knocking at the door, the BJP is trying to spread communal hatred to divert the people from real issues. Ajmal has been used as a weapon for it,” he added.

The meeting of the United Opposition Forum discussed many issues that have come up in the media recently and discussed the pros and cons of issues affecting the Forum.

Leaders stressed restraint while speaking to the media so that it does not reflect on unity among the forum members.

The meeting was attended by APCC president Bhupen Kr Bora, CLP leader Debabrata Saikia, deputy leader Rakibul Hussain, Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, Raijor Daal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Assam TMC president Ripun Bora, Aam Admi Party state coordinator Dr Bhaben Choudhary, NCP leader Jatindra Nath Bordoloi, CPI leader Kanak Gogoi, CPM Suprakash Talukdar, APHLC leader Bikram Hanse, CPI(ML) leader Pankaj Kumar Das, AIFB leader Mihir Nandi and Shivsena (UBT) leader Ramnarayan Singh.