Political temperatures are soaring in Dispur, ahead of polling for Rajya Sabha seats, amid murmurs over the likelihood of cross-voting in the tight contest involving the BJP and the Congress.
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the party supporting the candidature of the Congress’ nominee, has expressed apprehensions that there might be cross-voting from the Congress camp.
Congress, meanwhile, has scotched rumours that it plans to keep all lawmakers together in a hotel ahead of the balloting to prevent cross-voting. “These are rumours to create confusion. Our candidate is meeting the MLAs and we will win the seat,” Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah said.
Two seats will fall vacant as the terms of Ranee Narah and Ripun Borah, both from Congress will end on April 2. Congress has re-nominated Ripun Borah.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident that it will win both seats in the ensuing biennial elections to the Upper House which will be held on March 31. It has fielded Pabitra Margherita as its candidate for one seat. BJP’s ally, the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), has fielded Rwngwra Narzary, the president of UPPL, for the second seat.
Congress and the AIUDF, which parted ways after the assembly polls last year, have come together after AIUDF decided to support Congress. Congress requires 42 MLAs in the 126-member Assam assembly to win a seat; the party claims to have the support of 44 MLAs. Two MLAs – Sherman Ali Ahmed and Sashikanta Das – are under suspension.
“On the request of Mrs Sonia Gandhi, we decided to support Congress for the Upper House seat,” AIUDF chief and Dhubri MP Badruddin Ajmal said Friday.
“From our side, everything is done and we will win both the seats. I will not reveal the numbers now,” Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. On Sunday, Sarma visited the house of Das and said that “Das is supporting the government. MLAs will vote as per their liking and the whip does not apply. We will win both the seats.”
BJP has 63 MLAs, while its allies Asom Gana Parishad and UPPL have nine and seven MLAS, respectively. The Congress has 27 MLAs and the AIUDF has 15. CPI (M) and Raijor Dal have one lawmaker each in Dispur.
The Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), which distanced itself from the Congress and supported the BJP-led government, has three MLAs.
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