No plan like Bihar in Assam assembly election for BJP, Tarun Gogoi , Sarbananda Sonowal , Narendra Modi , Lok Sabha , Bihar , Assam , Assam assembly election 2016, Assam assembly polls, assembly election 2016

No plan like Bihar in Assam assembly election for BJP, Tarun Gogoi , Sarbananda Sonowal , Narendra Modi , Lok Sabha , Bihar , Assam , Assam assembly election 2016, Assam assembly polls, assembly election 2016

GUWAHATI: After the electoral debacle in Bihar, BJP is treading cautiously towards the Assam assembly election in April-May, 2016. The change in the party’s strategy post-Bihar polls is reflected both in its campaign strategy and within the organisatonal set up of the party. The party has a chief ministerial candidate, for a change, and a subdued development-oriented campaign.

It had readied a list of probable candidates for all the constituencies by October and is only awaiting clearance from the party’s top leadership. However realizing the emerging political situation, the saffron party no longer talks of Mission 84.

Changing its practice of not projecting a chief ministerial candidate, Union sports minister, Sarbananda Sonowal is likely to be projected as the chief minister candidate of BJP for next year’s assembly poll.

 Last month Sonowal took over president ship of state unit from Siddhartha Bhattacharya. Sonowal under whose leadership BJP won seven seats in 2014 Lok Sabha is also made the chairman of election management committee.

Sonowal who is the former president of Student body, All Assam Students Union soon after taking president ship made an attempt to reach out to various communities of the state. Sonowal is now talking of Hindu-Muslim unity.

Muslims comprises at least 34 percent of the state’s population. There is now indication that controversy on beef eating will not feature in Assam polls though beef has dominated the state politics for quite some time now.

BJP which has six MLAs in state assembly has initiated talks with Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) and Asom Gana Parishad(AGP) for having an alliance in polls.

BJP’s Axis will take on Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). Congress is keen to have alliance with AIUDF.

BPF’s Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary met Prime minister, Narendra Modi recently. Daimary later told media persons, “We want development of the Bodoland area. If the BJP-led NDA Government supports us, our people will be happy and in that case, we have no problem in supporting the BJP.”

BPF has presented a wish list to Centre which included a special package of Rs 5,000 crore spread over five years. The BTC leaders demanded the release of Rs 1,000 crore annually for the next five years. BPF is ruling the Bodoland territorial council (BTC), the sixth schedule area and has 12 MLA in state assembly.

BJP has garnered good number of leaders from congress and AGP and even some prominent student leaders were roped by the party. Former congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma is made convener of the election management committee and he is likely to lead the tirade of party against Congress in the campaigning.

Sarma in 2011 assembly poll campaigned across the length and breadth of the state. Sarma has been a crowd puller.

However, there is now indication that BJP will confine its campaign to only development issues besides pointing to failures of the ruling party and more specifically on alleged corruption issues.

BJP creating law and order problems: CM Tarun Gogoi

With thousands of BJP workers protesting against Congress government in Guwahati on Wednesday, Assam CM Tarun Gogoi said BJP is trying to create law and order problem in the state. Gogoi said that BJP is inciting communal riots and extremists to oust the Congress government in the state and enforce President’s Rule ahead of next year’s Assembly elections.

src: ET

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