From Bhupen Goswami
GUWAHATI : The BJP-led central government and the BJP’s compassionate bihar nitish kumar’s government is being accused of corruption, bihar opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. Delivering a press conference in Guwahati today, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said that all anti-BJP parties in Assam should come together and join the Grand Alliance. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is now fighting to contest the elections in Assam, which is ready to vote on March 27-April 6, 2021. And northeastern states can only be the beginning if their plans for the party are anything to go by. The election commission has announced the voting schedule. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said that the RJD is likely to contest the elections in Assam and Mr Yadav is looking for allies.
Like Bihar, the state also has a grand alliance of six parties led by the Congress. “There are about 5 percent Hindi speaking people from Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Yadav has said, “We have a large number of such people in 11 seats, but we will only contest where the chances of winning are high. The Congress is affiliated to RJD at the national level and has always maintained good relations since the days of Bihar-based party founder Lalu Prasad Yadav. He met the Assam Congress leadership last evening. He is all yet to meet AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and the Congress leadership today. “We have a natural alliance with the Congress,” he said. We have talked to them about the alliance,” he said today. If Congress sources say, the huge Bhojpuri vote bank in some parts of Assam can use Mr. Yadav as a star campaigner. Traditionally, these voters have been dominated by the BJP. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has also maintained ties with the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) led by former BJP ally Hagrama Mohilri. In the last Bodoland elections held in the late 2020s, the BJP threw it out and formed a post-election coalition with the United People’s Party Liberal, leaving the Hagrama Mahilary out of power from the Bodoland Territorial Council.
On February 10, the stunning Yadav attended the Bodoland Accord Day ceremony as the chief guest at Hagaram’s invitation. The RJD chief is also meeting Badruddin Ajmal of the All India United Democratic Front at 12 noon today. Sources said Ajmal is likely to attend his meeting with the Congress today. We have spoken to Ajmal and we are trying to form a coalition and we can be a part of the Grand Alliance here,” Yadav said today. Yadav said that the CAA had to talk to all opposing parties. The centre’s Citizenship Amendment Act had sparked uproar in state sections, with the new law seen as legitimizing decades of illegal immigration affecting Assam. Yadav said that the Grand Alliance may include parties with the regional political party in CPI, CPIM, RCPI, CPIML and Assam besides RJD and Congress. In the elections, the Grand Alliance will face the ruling AGP-BJP alliance. Meanwhile, it has been reported that JD(U) from Bihar, rjd’s arch rival, may also contest Assam elections this time. However, chances are it will go solo.
Out of 126 seats in Assam Assembly, 47 will go to polls in the first phase on 27th March, 39th April and 40th April. Counting of votes for the three phases will be held on May 2. The ruling BJP is looking to retain power as the opposition Congress-led coalition changes its eyes. RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav announced on Saturday that his party will be in the fray for the Assam assembly. For this, he will tie up with like-minded parties. The major opposition party in Bihar, RJD, has already announced its candidate to stand in the Bengal elections. It has to be seen how he expands his party by making electoral alliances in these states. However, the RJD had earlier expressed its intention to stand by Mamata Banerjee’s party Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal assembly elections. During the left Front regime, there was a RJD MLA in West Bengal between 2006 and 2011. Rjd’s principal general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui and national general secretary Shyam Rajuk had discussed the alliance with trinamool Congress in the past. The RJD is eyeing some seats on the Bihar-West Bengal border, where there is a sizeable population of voters for the audience.
