Dhing seat standoff derails Congress, Raijor Dal pre-poll alliance talks

Guwahati, Mar 8: The pre-poll alliance between the Congress and Raijor Dal in Assam appears to have collapsed after prolonged negotiations over seat-sharing failed to reach a consensus, with the regional party blaming the stalemate on the Congress’ unwillingness to concede the Dhing Assembly constituency in Nagaon district.

In a statement issued by the party on Sunday, Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi said that talks between the two sides broke down despite several attempts by his party to reduce its seat demands in order to reach an agreement.

Gogoi said Raijor Dal had initially proposed contesting 27 seats but gradually brought the number down to 20 and later to 15 to accommodate the Congress.

“Congress agreed to 13 seats, but only four of those were from the list we had proposed. Later, we told them we would accept all their conditions, but we needed Dhing,” the statement said.

According to the party, the disagreement over the Dhing constituency eventually became the key sticking point that prevented the alliance from taking shape.

Raijor Dal also expressed dissatisfaction over a press conference held earlier by the Congress along with three other opposition parties on March 6 in which it was not included, stating that the development had hurt the party’s “self-esteem”.

“The manner in which Raijor Dal was kept out of the alliance at that meeting was extremely disrespectful for us. We have observed that both the verbal and body language of the APCC president, Gaurav Gogoi, do not reflect support for the alliance,” the statement read.

The statement further alleged that Raijor Dal had consistently made “sacrifices” to build a united opposition front against the BJP, but claimed that the Congress had instead tried to force the party into accepting its terms.

“The Congress wanted us to surrender, but we refused to do that,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, despite the apparent collapse of the talks, the Congress camp maintained that it remained hopeful of an understanding with the regional party.

Congress candidate from Dispur, Mira Borthakur, said APCC president Gaurav Gogoi had left for New Delhi on Sunday to discuss the issue with the party’s central leadership.

“Our leader Gaurav Gogoi wants the alliance and has been in talks with the AICC leadership. We are hopeful that there will be an alliance; not just on Facebook but in reality. In politics, patience is important,” Borthakur said.

She confirmed that Gogoi would consult the party’s top leadership in New Delhi before any final decision is taken.

Meanwhile, Raijor Dal’s candidate for the high-profile Jalukbari constituency in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district, Ramen Borthakur, said he would not contest from the seat if the alliance with the Congress fails to materialise.

“If the alliance does not happen in Assam, I will contest from Dispur and not Jalukbari. We understand Akhil Gogoi’s resolve to defeat the BJP,” Borthakur told the press.