Assam Congress To Fight By-Polls Alone Without Forming Alliance

Assam Congress will fight the assembly by-polls alone without forming any alliance, party president Bhupen Kumar Borah said on Monday.

The by-polls are likely to take place by the end of this year.

Borah said that the party will field its own candidates as it wants to regain the lost ground in the constituencies that were offered to alliance partners during the assembly elections earlier this year.

There are six assembly seats that are currently lying vacant due to deaths and resignations of MLAs, and also after former CM Sarbananda Sonowal became a Union Minister.

"Due to the alliance, our organisation became weak in many areas like the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). Our cadres got demotivated in those constituencies where we did not contest. We need to strengthen those seats," Borah said in an interaction with journalists.

In order to enthuse the ground workers and strengthen the party organisation keeping in mind the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 and the assembly elections in 2026, the Congress will fight the by-polls alone, he added.

The Congress had formed a "Grand Alliance" with the AIUDF, BPF, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM), RJD, Adivasi National Party (ANP) and the Jimochayan (Deori) Peoples Party (JPP) to fight against the BJP-led NDA in the assembly election this year.

Last month, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) snapped ties with the AIUDF and the Bodoland People's Front (BPF).

"It will send a strong message to our workers that we are serious about rebuilding the party. We had some discussions with regional opposition parties like the Raijor Dal (RD) and the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP). But the Raijor Dal has already announced the candidate for one seat," Borah said.

"We have sought applications from interested Congress leaders in the six constituencies by September 27. We will make a final decision only after that. If we insist on united opposition, we cannot enthuse our workers," he further said.

The by-elections will take place in six seats — Mariani, Thowra, Bhabanipur, Tamulpur, Gossaigaon and Majuli.

The sixth seat will fall vacant when former CM Sarbananda Sonowal resigns as he has joined the Union Cabinet as a minister.