GUWAHATI, Aug 18 - The Congress today appealed to all other opposition parties to join hands with it for formation of an anti-BJP �grand alliance� in Assam for the 2021 Assembly elections. This decision was taken during the State Congress party�s core committee meeting held at Rajiv Bhawan here.
The meeting decided to pursue the agenda of an opposition grand alliance to take on the BJP in next year�s elections. It formally appealed to all the opposition parties, as well as ethnic groups, students� organizations and other groups, to come together for putting up a joint fight against the ruling NDA.
�We held detailed deliberations and took the views of each and every member of our party�s core committee. We arrived at the decision that the BJP must be removed from power and for the sake of removing the BJP from power we have appealed to all the anti-BJP forces to join hands with us under a grand alliance. We want not only the anti-BJP parties but also ethnic groups and other organizations as part of the grand alliance,� Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora told reporters after the meeting.
�Today we have only called upon them to come and join hands with us. Whether they do so or not depends on them. But as the largest opposition party, it is our duty to appeal to all,� he added.
Bora exuded confidence that the grand alliance will be able to form the government in Dispur in 2021.
He said that matters like formulation of a common minimum programme and other issues will be sorted out when, and if, the other parties respond favourably to the appeal made by the Congress.
Asked if the AIUDF will be part of the grand alliance, Bora said, �Why only with AIUDF? We have called for a grand alliance of all anti-BJP forces. If AIUDF decides to be part of it, then it will be one of the constituents.�
�We want the CPI, the CPI(M), the KMSS, and ethnic parties and organizations representing the Bodos, the Misings, the Tiwas, the Karbis and other ethnic communities, besides people like Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, to be part of the grand alliance,� said former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
He claimed that there is an anti-BJP wave in Assam and if the grand alliance is formed then the saffron party can easily be defeated in the 2021 elections.
