GUWAHATI, Oct 8 - As part of attempt to build an Opposition �grand alliance� in the run-up to the 2021 Assembly polls, a meeting took place here today between top State unit leaders of the Congress and the CPI(M).
During the meeting, held at a city hotel, the principal Opposition party was represented by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora, Leader of Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia, Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Rakibul Hussain and senior MP and Deputy Leader of the Congress Party in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi.
From the CPI(M), State unit secretary Deben Bhattacharya, former secretary and ex-MLA Hemen Das, former secretary and ex-MP Uddhav Barman, and the party�s central committee member Suprakash Talukdar participated.
�It was basically a preliminary discussion between our two parties. We discussed about ways to unite all the anti-BJP forces. Both the parties agreed that there is a need to jointly fight against the �communal and anti-people� policies of the BJP and defeat the saffron party in the 2021 elections,� Talukdar said after the meeting.
Asked if the grand alliance was discussed, he said, �The Congress has been bringing up the grand alliance issue since some time. But today�s meeting was basically a preliminary discussion between our two parties to find common ground. We have not made any commitments towards the grand alliance. Further rounds of talks are likely between our party and the Congress.�
