GUWAHATI: In a significant development, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has decided to snap ties with the “Grand Alliance” partner All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), stating that it would propose to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to “relieve” AIUDF from the Congress-led Mahajot.
The decision was taken in a core committee meeting of the APCC held at Rajiv Bhawan here on Monday.
The core committee has also decided to propose to the party high command to “relieve” AIUDF from the “Grand Alliance”.
“The AIUDF leadership and senior members’ continuous and mysterious praise of the BJP party and the chief minister has affected the public perception of the Congress party. In this connection after a long discussion the core committee members of APCC unanimously decided that AIUDF can no longer remain an alliance partner of Mahajot and in this regard will send intimation to AICC,” APCC President Bhupen Bora said in a press statement.
“After a long and threadbare discussion, the core committee members of APCC unanimously decided that AIUDF can no longer remain an alliance partner of Mahajot and in this regard will send intimation to AICC,” Congress leader Rakibul Hussain told reporters here.
A discussion at the core committee meeting was also held with regard to the alliance with BPF.
“Since BPF had already expressed its unwillingness in various forums to remain in the Mahajot, therefore the APCC president has been given full authority to take decision on this matter and intimate the High Command,” a statement by the APCC said.
The “Grand Alliance” was stitched together three months ahead of the 2021 assembly elections in Assam with a common objective of uprooting the BJP in the state.
Along with Congress and the Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), it also comprises the Hagrama Mohilary-led Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), Left parties and a regional party, Anchalik Gana Morcha(AGM).
APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah had recently hinted at breaking ties with the AIUDF stating that some leaders have started speaking in favour of BJP, “which has hurt the basic principle of the Grand Alliance.”
The core committee also reiterated the earlier decision to give full authority to the APCC president, along with working presidents and chairman of the LAC Constituencies constituted for the forthcoming by-elections to make decisions in the matters of election strategy, candidate selection etc.
The core committee meeting took strong exception to the Assam government announcement of the increase of daily wage of tea workers to Rs 205/- which is way below the electoral promise of wage increase to Rs 351/- by the BJP in 2016. Moreover it is also less than the Sonowal government notification of 2021 which had added Rs 50 just before elections and increased it to Rs 217.
“This notification was also withdrawn and now only Rs 38 has been increased. The APCC strongly condemned this betrayal to the tea tribe community and demanded that the Govt fulfil the daily wage increase of tea workers as promised,” the statement said.
The meeting also observed that the BJP has deprived the six indigenous communities of Assam from the ST status promised earlier. Meanwhile, the central government has passed a bill in the Lok Sabha to provide ST status to 12 communities of Arunachal Pradesh. But no proposal has been taken for the six indigenous communities of the state. This slight of our people is strongly condemned by the APCC. If it is not done, the Congress party has decided today to organize a protest throughout the state.
