By PTI
GUWAHATI: The CPI(M) on Monday said it will support Congress candidates in four assembly seats in Assam and CPI nominee in one for the October 30 by-elections in the state.
The Left party will back the CPI candidate in Thowra constituency and the Congress nominees in Mariani, Bhabanipur, Tamulpur and Gossaiagon seats.
“The BJP-led coalition government has betrayed the people of Assam after the last assembly elections. The government has not made the minimum effort to help them when they are facing problems like price rise and unemployment,” the CPI(M) said in a statement.
It also urged the people not to vote in favour of the ruling BJP and its allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
The CPI(M) was part of a ‘grand alliance’ led by the Congress in the last assembly polls held earlier this year.
By-elections to Gossaigaon and Tamulpur were necessitated due to death of the sitting MLAs, while the legislators of Bhabanipur, Mariani and Thowra resigned from their seats and joined the ruling BJP.
Thowra and Mariani seats were bagged by the Congress in the March-April assembly polls, while the UPPL won Gossaigaon constituency.
The BPF and the AIUDF emerged victorious in Tamulpur and Bhabanipur respectively.
The Congress, which was in power for 15 years in Assam since 2001, had formed the grand alliance with the 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.
Votes for the by-elections will be counted on November 2.
In the 126-member Assam assembly, the BJP’s strength at present is 59.
The ruling allies — the AGP and the UPPL – have nine and five MLAs respectively, while the Congress has 27 legislators, the AIUDF has 15 members, the BPF has three and the CPI(M) has one.
There is one Independent member.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has prohibited conduct of any exit poll between 6 am and 7.30 pm on October 30 for the by-elections.
It also said, “Displaying any election matter, including results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in any electronic media, would be prohibited during the period of 48 hours ending with the hours fixed for conclusion of the elections.”
Assam Chief Electoral Officer Nitin Khade urged all to scrupulously adhere to the EC directives related to exit and opinion polls.
