News Analysis India

Tag: Bhupen Bora

  • Assam Congress decides to break ties with Ajmal’s AIUDF, BPF

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: The opposition ‘Grand Alliance’ in Assam is set to collapse with the state Congress on Monday announcing that it has decided to break ties with Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF and the Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF).

    A core committee meeting, chaired by state Congress president Bhupen Bora, observed that the AIUDF’s “behaviour and attitude in relation with the BJP has baffled the members of the Congress,” party spokesperson Bobbeeta Sharma told reporters.

    “The continuous and mysterious praise of the BJP and the chief minister by AIUDF leadership and senior members have affected the public perception of the Congress party,” she said.

    Sharma said that after a long discussion, the core committee members of the state Congress unanimously decided that AIUDF can no longer remain a partner in the ‘Mahajot’ and the AICC will be informed accordingly.

    A discussion was also held on the alliance with BPF as its leadership has been expressing their unwillingness to remain a part of the ‘Grand Alliance’ on various platforms, she said.

    The state Congress president was given full authority to make a decision on the matter and it was decided to inform the high-command the decision to break ties with the party, Sharma said.

    The meeting also endorsed the earlier decision of giving full authority to the state president, working presidents and chairman of the legislative assembly committees constituted for the forthcoming by-polls to take decisions on election strategy and candidate selections, she said.

    The 10-party ‘Grand Alliance’ or ‘Mahajot’, led by the Congress, was formed ahead of this year’s assembly elections in the state.

    Besides the Congress, AIUDF and BPF, it comprised the Jimochayan (Deori) People’s Party (JDPP), Adivasi National Party (ANP), CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), Anchalik Gana Morcha, and the RJD.

    The alliance had won 50 seats in the assembly polls with Congress securing 29 seats, AIUDF 16, BPF four and the CPI(M) one.

  • Congress, AJP hold talks for common Opposition candidates in Assam bypolls

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Assam’s opposition parties Congress and AJP on Monday held discussions for putting up common candidates against the ruling BJP-led alliance in the assembly by-elections in five seats.

    Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) vice presidents Shamsher Singh and Kamal Nayan Choudhury visited state Congress chief Bhupen Bora at his residence and discussed the proposal.

    “The AJP proposed giving common candidates in all the seats going for the bypolls. We respect the proposal and will discuss it at the appropriate level,” state Congress working president Jakir Hussain Sikdar told PTI.

    Sikdar, who was also present during the talks, said that the Congress is always ready to work with all the anti-BJP forces in the state.

    “We cannot say at this stage that an alliance is being cemented between the Congress and the AJP. A political roadmap will have to be chalked out for that,” he said.

    AJP spokesperson Ziaur Rahman said that the party’s central executive committee had on July 16 passed a resolution for common opposition candidates against the BJP in the bypolls, the schedule of which is yet to be announced.

    “We informed the Congress about our resolution during the second round of discussions today. Earlier, another state Congress working president Rana Goswami had discussed the issue with AJP general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan,” Rahman said.

    The Congress and Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal had held a discussion on August 8 to evaluate possibilities on forming an alliance for the bypolls.

    AJP and Raijor Dal had formed a ‘Regional Alliance’, which was not part of the Congress-led ‘Grand Alliance’ in the assembly election this year.

    The Raijor Dal won one seat, while AJP drew a blank.

    Before the assembly polls, both the groupings had called for establishing a united platform of all opposition parties but the ‘Regional Alliance’ had shied away from joining the ‘Grand Alliance’ due to the presence of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in it.

    The Congress, which was in power for 15 years in Assam since 2001, formed the ‘Grand Alliance’ with AIUDF, BPF, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM), RJD, Adivasi National Party (ANP) and Jimochayan (Deori) Peoples Party (JPP).

    In the 126-member Assam Assembly, the BJP bagged 60 seats, while its allies AGP won nine and UPPL six.

    In the opposition camp, the Congress won 29, AIUDF 16, BPF four and CPI(M) cornered one seat.

    Raijor Dal won one seat as an Independent.

    As per the seat arrangements of assembly at present, byelections will take place in five seats.

    One MLA each of United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) has died, while two Congress legislators have resigned to join the BJP.

    Former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who joined the Union Cabinet as a minister, is yet to submit his resignation paper in the assembly, but is likely to do so in the coming days.

  • Congress appoints Bhupen Borah chief of Assam unit

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress on Saturday appointed Bhupen Borah as chief of its Assam unit, replacing party Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora for the post.

    Continuing the organisational revamp in various units, a party statement said Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appointed Bhupen Bora as president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) and also named three working presidents — Rana Goswami, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Jakir Hussain Sikdar.

    The organisational changes in the state unit came weeks after the party’s defeat in the assembly polls for which it entered into a grand alliance with the Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF and some other parties but failed to stop the BJP from coming back to power.

    The party appreciates the contributions of outgoing APCC president Ripun Bora, the statement said.

    Bhupen Borah and Rana Goswami are being relieved from their present responsibilities as All India Congress Committee secretaries, it said.

    In another appointment, Loken Singh was appointed interim president of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect till a full-time chief is named.

    Also, the party named Arya Kumar Jnanendra as chief organiser for the Odisha Pradesh Congress Seva Dal.

  • Congress’ Assam unit to get its new chief this week: Senior leader Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: The opposition Congress in Assam will get its new state president this week, a senior leader said on Tuesday, nearly two months after Ripun Bora resigned from the post, owning responsibility for the party’s drubbing in the March-April Assembly polls.

    Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) general secretary Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, when asked about the delay in naming its new president, said the party, after having suffered defeat twice in the assembly polls, needs to find a “vocal and assertive leader”. “The new Assam Congress president will be named this week. The central leadership is currently taking views of party functionaries in the matter,” Bhattacharjee told PTI.

    He further said that several leaders are capable of shouldering the responsibility, but the party high command will ensure that the most “acceptable” candidate is appointed. “We lost the battle (assembly elections) for the second time. We could not reach our goal. The party wants a vocal and assertive leader at this point. There are many leaders who are capable of taking up this responsibility. The high command will ensure that the most acceptable candidate is appointed after considering all necessary factors,” Bhattacharjee added.

    Meanwhile, sources in party said several names have been doing the rounds within the state unit, but Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Bhupen Bora have emerged as the top two contenders for the post.