GUWAHATI
Seventy-seven educationists, intellectuals, cultural and literary activists in Assam have asked the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) to leave the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat to the Left Front so that a key ally of the BJP can be defeated.
In a letter to APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah on March 17, the signatories said the Congress party should withdraw its candidate for the Barpeta seat in favour of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) to defeat the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) candidate.
The Congress denied a ticket to Barpeta’s incumbent MP Abdul Khaleque and fielded Deep Bayan, the former president of the Assam unit of Seva Dal.
The CPI(M) is one of four Left Front constituents of the 16-party United Opposition Forum, Assam headed by Congress. The others are CPI, CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, and All India Forward Bloc.
“Such a liberal and realistic approach on your part will not only take the image of your party in Assam to greater heights but will also ensure the defeat of the BJP and its allies and remove them from power,” the signatories led by academician Hiren Gohain wrote.
The AGP, one of the two regional ruling allies of the BJP in Assam, fielded its Bongaigaon MLA Phani Bhushan Choudhury from Barpeta. The AGP is contesting two of the 14 parliamentary seats in the State.
“During the last 10 years of BJP rule, there has been a continuous attack on the democratic and secular values of our Constitution. Life and livelihood of the common people are also under constant attack,” the signatories wrote.
“The rights of the States are being curtailed systematically. Assam is facing a serious crisis under BJP rule. It has become imperative to isolate the BJP and its allies and oust them from power in the coming parliamentary elections to protect the rights and interests of the people,” they said.
The signatories said they were aware of the pressures from the grassroots workers on Congress to put up its candidates in every constituency. But under the current situation, it was crucial to have an understanding of seat-sharing among the anti-BJP secular political parties for the common goal of removing the BJP from power.
They argued that in the changed political situation and the demographic pattern after the 2023 delimitation of the parliamentary and Assembly constituencies in Assam, the Left Front has an edge over other Opposition parties in the Barpeta seat.
Several Assembly segments of Barpeta were Left Front strongholds for years after Independence.
The Congress has left two of Assam’s 14 Lok Sabha constituencies to its allies. These are Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur.
