'Alliance hinges on Congress response', says Akhil as APCC leaders camp in Delhi

Guwahati, Feb 21: With the Assam Congress leadership reportedly in Delhi for consultations with the party’s high command ahead of the Assembly elections, uncertainty continues to cloud the proposed Opposition alliance under the Asom Sonmilito Morcha.

Among the most vocal critics of the ongoing seat-sharing negotiations is Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi’s Raijor Dal, which has expressed dissatisfaction over the progress of talks with the Congress.

Gogoi, on Saturday, said his party has decided to send a final letter to the Congress leadership seeking clarity, adding that the future of the alliance would depend on the response from the Grand Old Party’s high command.

“We had a meeting with Congress leaders last night, but we are dissatisfied with the outcome. There has been confusion even on the points that were earlier agreed upon. Things have changed after the meeting,” he said.

Raijor Dal had initially sought 27 constituencies but later scaled down its demand to 15. Gogoi said the party is now asking for 12 to 13 “winnable” seats out of the 15 where it claims to have a strong organisational presence.

“We have been patient throughout the process. But so far, we have been offered only four satisfactory constituencies,” he said.

Gogoi maintained that the party has a significant base in Upper Assam and should be allotted seats in areas where it has worked consistently.

“They must give us the Upper Assam seats. The places where we have been working for years should be assigned to us. People are dissatisfied with the government and are waiting for a credible alternative. But Congress is pushing for its own candidates, including those who have lost two or three times. Will they win this time?” he asked.

He specifically cited constituencies such as Nauboicha, Demow, Mariani and Dhemaji, claiming that Raijor Dal has strong prospects in these segments.

“We have better public relations and organisational reach in these constituencies. We are confident of victory if these seats are allocated to us,” he said.

The Raijor Dal leader also raised concerns about what he described as a complex decision-making process within the Congress.

“It is complicated. Every leader has their own candidate. First, you have to cross those hurdles. Then there are the candidates of Gaurav Gogoi, followed by the AICC screening and the suggestions of the high command. Do we have time for all this?” he said.

On minority-dominated constituencies, Gogoi said his party had sought 10 such seats but had received limited assurance.

“We have done substantial work in minority areas. Yet, according to Congress, all minority constituencies belong to them. We followed the instructions of their senior leaders, but our concerns have not been addressed,” he said.

He asserted that several Opposition leaders, including himself, command strong support in their respective constituencies.

“Leaders like us have strong support on the ground. We have survey reports, and we know our strengths,” he said, adding that the party cannot deny tickets to long-standing workers.

Gogoi said the Raijor Dal leadership has convened an urgent meeting to deliberate on the issue and that a final decision on the alliance would be taken after the Congress responds to their letter.

“Everything will become clear by this evening. Alliance depends on how they respond,” he said.

Earlier, senior Assam Congress leaders, including APCC president Gaurav Gogoi and Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, were reportedly summoned to Delhi for discussions on the Opposition alliance.

They left for the national capital on Friday and are expected to participate in a meeting on Saturday.