Congress wins both assembly seats in Assam

Guwahati, Nov 10: Assam’s ruling Congress party Tuesday wrested both the assembly seats for which by-elections were held three days ago from the opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF).

Wajed Ali Choudhury won the South Salmara seat by a margin of more than 6,000 votes defeating AUDF candidate Abdur Rahman Ajmal, son of party chief Badruddin Ajmal.

South Salmara is about 300 km west of Assam’s main city of Guwahati.

In the Dhekiajuli seat in northern Assam’s Sonitpur district, Congress candidate Bhimananda Tanti trounced AGP candidate Shib Charan Sahu by over 21,000 votes.

The by-elections were necessitated after sitting legislators Joseph Toppo from the AGP and Badruddin Ajmal of the AUDF were elected as Lok Sabha MPs in the last general elections from Dhekiajuli and South Salmara respectively.

The AGP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had a pre-poll alliance in the by-elections – the AGP put up its candidate in the Dhekiajuli seat and the BJP fielded its candidate in the South Salmara seat as part of the seat-sharing arrangement.

“We are happy at the results and believe the people of Dhekiajuli and South Salmara voted for the Congress party for the good governance we are providing to the people of Assam for the past eight years now,” Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told journalists.

The AGP and the AUDF accepted defeat.

“We accept the people’s verdict and now we must strengthen our base for the 2011 assembly elections,” said AGP leader Atul Bora.

READ MORE - Congress wins both assembly seats in Assam

NC Hills thorn pricks Cong balloon

- PM rap leaves Assam shaken

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh greets the gathering at the inauguration of the chief ministers’ meet in New Delhi on Monday, as home minister P. Chidambaram looks on. (PTI) Guwahati, Aug. 19 : The ruling Congress in Assam was a shaken house today after both the Prime Minister and the Union home minister ticked off the state for not handling the insurgency situation, particularly in the North Cachar Hills district, efficiently. The virtual mend-your-style-of-functioning notice from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P.C. Chidambaram came at a meeting of chief ministers on internal security in New Delhi yesterday. Party insiders said the Centre’s observations could once again give a handle to Tarun Gogoi baiters in the Assam PCC, who have otherwise been lying low for some time in the face of the party’s successive creditable electoral performances. The official admission about the ineffectiveness of the Gogoi government and his team has made the case of the Gogoi baiters stronger, the party insiders contended. They said now the party high command, too, would be forced to hear out the “justified” dissent against Gogoi and his team. “Only last month, 27 MLAs had submitted a memorandum to Gogoi to drop non-performing ministers to shore up the administration before the 2011 elections. Nothing came of it because of the party’s impressive showing in the municipal and town committee elections. But the Centre’s open criticism will give a boost to this lot’s demand to clip the wings of Gogoi and his team. For the first time in eight years, they have got a potent weapon to use against Gogoi and his team,” one of them said. Neutral Congressmen, too, admitted that the public observations were “unprecedented” and reflected the ground realities that had hampered development in certain pockets of the state. They also felt that the observations were based on feedback from the ground and not on what Dispur must have been “feeding” the Centre. “The observations are a cause for worry because the rap has come from two senior Congress leaders. It surely must have the tacit approval of the party high command which would like the chief minister and his team to pull up their socks to set things right. It is not only about law and order but also about execution of development projects. After eight years in power, expectations are high from the Gogoi government to deliver. It is clearly a wake-up call,” a party insider said at Rajiv Bhawan this afternoon. Singh had said the situation in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland remained “problematic and worrisome” with Assam and Manipur accounting for a disproportionately large number of violent incidents reported from the Northeast. Chidambaram said these three states were most affected vis-à-vis insurgency and he would draw up state-specific plans with them to deal with militant groups. Singh even expressed displeasure over the “unsatisfactory” utilisation of the Rs 750 crore sanctioned by the Centre for the development of the Bodo belt and rehabilitation of those affected by violence there and in North Cachar Hills district. A very guarded Assam PCC general secretary, Haren Das, who is in-charge of the media, said the party had taken note of the observations as it had been widely published in the media. “The problem should be addressed in such a manner that things improve. Our government and the party, both at the state and Centre, are trying to improve things,” he added. The Opposition AGP was quick to pounce on the observations. Its chief spokesman Atul Bora said the Centre should either issue a strict directive to set things right or simply dismiss the “failed” Gogoi government. “We have been proved right about the Gogoi government being an utter failure on all fronts,” he said. AUDF’s working president H.R.A. Choudhury said the Gogoi government was more interested in power than improving law and order or working for development. State BJP vice-president Palit Bora said the observations were a true reflection of the state of affairs. “Coming from a Prime Minister who represents Assam, it only indicates that even a Congress-headed Centre cannot protect a Congress-headed state government any further,” he said.

READ MORE - NC Hills thorn pricks Cong balloon

Congress sweeps civic bodies polls in Assam

GUWAHATI: The congress party in Assam has swept the civic bodies polls. The party has almost captured 80 per cent of the municipal boards (MB) and town committees (TC).

The party had suffered loss of two seats in this year’s Lok Sabha elections. Congress had won seven Lok Sabha seats out of 14 in Assam, two less than the 2004’s tally.

Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) did not contest the MB and TC polls.

The party feels it will boost the morale of the party ahead of the state assembly polls slated for 2011.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhubneswar Kalita on Tuesday said that out of 645 ward members, Congress has won 405. This is the best ever performance of the party in the civic polls.

According to the party, out of 68 MB/TC Congress has clear majority in at least 54.

Mr Kalita added "This is unprecedented. In the Lok Sabha elections in some towns and cities, we got fewer votes. However, people have reposed faith in the developmental works initiated by Congress. We will initiate housing schemes for homeless in towns and cities
and a provision for the same is made in this year’s budget,"

He added, "Our door to door campaigning strategy has yielded dividends. AGP-BJP which jointly fought elections failed miserably. We are hopeful that we will able to repeat the same in the Assembly polls."

READ MORE - Congress sweeps civic bodies polls in Assam

Gogoi meets PM, Sonia, Chidambaram

In the wake of recent terror incidents in Assam, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and apprised him about state's law-and -order situation and steps being taken to check violence.
Gogoi, who also met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, said that barring some incidents of violence in North Cachar Hill district and Bodo-dominated areas, the law and order situation in the state was "by and large peaceful".
"Except in North Cachar Hills and some Bodo areas, situation is by and large peaceful," he told reporters in New Delhi.
Gogoi said he had apprised the Prime Minister about the flood situation in Assam and requested for liberal financial aid.
During his meeting with Chidambaram, the chief minister briefed him about the steps being taken to tighten security in the areas where several violent incidents have taken place in recent past.
During the day, Gogoi met Union Surface Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath and urged him to speed up the construction of East-West corridor in Assam.
He also met Sonia Gandhi and discussed with her holding of organisational elections of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.

READ MORE - Gogoi meets PM, Sonia, Chidambaram

Euphoric Cong has reasons to worry in Assam

Guwahati, May 20 : As it celebrates a spectacular show in the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress is also worried about its bad-to-worse performance in Assam, where its tally has dipped from nine to seven.

The loss is equally worrying because the BJP has gained two seats (to take its total to four) in the state that returns 14 MPs.

The AGP, which had won two seats last time, secured only one this time.

The Congress retained five seats which it had won in the last polls and wrested two from the AGP, while suffering humiliating defeats in three prestigious seats -- Silchar, Tezpur and Gauhati which it had won in 2004 with considerable margins.

The worst loss for the party was Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev, who was aiming for an eighth term in Parliament, from Silchar.

He was relegated to the third position behind BJP's Kabindra Purukayastha and nascent regional party Asom United Democratic Front AUDF President Badruddin Ajmal.

Another prominent loser for the Congress was controversial lottery baron Mani Kumar Subba who was defeated by AGP MLA Joseph Toppo by 32,542 votes in Tezpur with the seat being the only one won by the regional party.

The BJP which had allied with the AGP doubled its tally to four this time retaining Mangaldoi and Nowgong seats and gaining the prestigious Silchar and Gauhati seats.

The Gauhati seat which was wrested by the Congress in 2004 from the BJP was regained by the saffron party's Bijoya Chakravorty who defeated Congress' Capt Robi Bordoloi, the son of Assam's first chief Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Gopinath Bordoloi, by 11,809 votes.

The BJP, which has been present in the state since 1990s, finished second in Jorhat and third in Karimganj and Autonomous (ST) District.

The AGP, however, failed to capitalise on the alliance losing two seats it had won in 2004 -- Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh-to the Congress.

The loss in the Assam polls, both for the Congress and its rivals, was due to the emergence of AUDF, which won the Dhubri seat, finished a close second in Silchar and Karimganj and third in Barpeta, Mangaldoi, Kaliabor and Nowgong.

The party, which was formed prior to the last assembly polls in 2006, contested nine seats with its President Badruddin Ajmal and his brother Sirajuddin Ajmal, both MLAs in the state assembly contesting two seats each, and was successful in winning a sizable chunk of the minority votes, a traditional support base of the Congress.

‘AUDF spoiler in AGP result’

Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today admitted that Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF) has emerged as the deciding factor in the state's Lok Sabha polls.

"AUDF has been a major factor in the election result and a reason for the losses suffered by AGP-BJP combine and the ruling Congress," AGP President Chandra Mohan Patowary told reporters here.

Out of 14 LS seats in Assam, AGP bagged one seat. AGP candidate Joseph Toppo won Tezpur LS seat by defeating lottery baron and Congress candidate Mani Kumar Subba by more than 32 thousand votes.

The party, however, lost Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh LS seats to Congress which they had won in 2004.

Denying that AGP's seat sharing agreement with BJP had failed, Patowary said both the parties had won five seats jointly which was "a good result".

AGP president admitted that the presence of AUDF, a party primarily belonging to the minority community, had affected the poll prospects of other parties.

He rejected media reports that AGP failed to get minority votes as it aligned with BJP. "There is no substance in this theory as the members of the minority community will at any case vote for AUDF", he said.

BJP has won 4 LS seats in Assam.

READ MORE - Euphoric Cong has reasons to worry in Assam

Economic condition of Assam worsened during AGP rule: Tarun Gogoi

TEZPUR, April 2 – Terming AGP as an immature regional political party, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that during the AGP rule every possible development of the State was disrupted due to the lack of proper policy and adequate planning.

The economic condition of the State worsened, Gogoi said and urged the voters of the State to wipe out AGP from the political field of Assam in the ensuing Parliamentary election. The Chief Minister was addressing an election rally at Haleswar Stadium under Tezpur Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday.

Gogoi further said that the Assam Accord was executed during the days of Rajiv Gandhi. “If the Congress had not signed the agreement with the AASU leaders, they could never have come to power. Moreover, after coming to power, they ignored the economic side of the State. During the Congress regime alone we revived the economy,” he said.

Lashing out at AGP-BJP and AUDF, Gogoi further said that during the rule of NDA at the Centre and AGP in Assam, development of India, including Assam, was disrupted. There was no effective planning for the common people and employees were deprived of their salaries. But right now the poor people of the State are getting various advantages including free rice, electricity and medical facilities.

Referring to the activities of RSS, Gogoi said that Nathuram Godse was an RSS activist who killed Mahatma Gandhi. And it is most unfortunate that BJP leader Advani is with the RSS. With such a party AGP has entered into an alliance and is dreaming of forming the Government.

The meeting, which was attended by more than 5,000 people, was presided over by Fishery and Irrigation Minister Nurjamal Sarkar.

READ MORE - Economic condition of Assam worsened during AGP rule: Tarun Gogoi

Congress announces 25 candidates for LS polls

New Delhi, Mar 13 : The Congress today announced a list of 25 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections for seats falling in Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland and Chandigarh.

The list includes six Union ministers Kamalnath (Union Minister for Commerce and Industries), Jyotiraditya Scindia ((Minister of State, Communications), Pawan Kumar Bansal (Minister of State, Finance), Santosh Mohan Dev (Heavy Industries), B K Handique (Minister of State, Chemical and Fertilizer) and Kantilal Bhuria (Minister of State, Agriculture) Kamalnath will contest from Chhindwara and Scindia from Guna in Madhya Pradesh. Dev will contest from Silchar, Handique from Jorhat in Assam while Bansal will fight from the union territory of Chandigarh.

Other important candidates include MK Subba from Tezpur and P S Ghatwar from Dibrugarh in Assam, Bhuria from the reserved seat of Ratlam and Ashok Singh from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.

Gwalior had earlier been the constituency of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and late Congress stalwart Madhavrao Scindia.

Of the 25 seats for which candidates were declared, 12 are from Madhya Pradesh, 11 are from Assam and one each from Chandigarh and Nagaland.

READ MORE - Congress announces 25 candidates for LS polls

Congress kicks off poll campaign

Scathing attack on AGP-BJP tie as ‘opportunistic’

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and PCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita wave at supporters during the conference on Sunday. Picture by Eastern Projections Guwahati, March 9 : The Congress today kicked off its Lok Sabha campaign in Assam by launching a scathing attack on the BJP-AGP alliance, playing the Jai ho number from Slumdog Millionaire to motivate its workers. Addressing hundreds of Congress workers at the open session on the concluding day of the party’s state-level political conference at Sarusajai Stadium, chief minister Tarun Gogoi announced that a decade “of AGP misrule in Assam” and “neglect” of the state during the BJP-led NDA rule at the Centre would be key poll planks of the party for the forthcoming parliamentary elections.  Mincing no words, Gogoi described the AGP-BJP tie-up as an “opportunistic alliance between a parochial regional party and a communal national party”. He asked party workers to highlight the achievements of the Congress governments in Delhi and Dispur. Gogoi exuded confidence that the Congress would be able to win 13 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. The party is leaving the Kokrajhar seat to its ally, the Bodoland People’s Party. Rajya Sabha MP and AICC observer for Assam Mabel Rebello and PCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita were among those who exhorted party workers to highlight economic development, improvement in law and order and overall progress during the past seven years of Congress rule in Assam to the voters. The AGP was swift to retaliate, with Atul Bora, one of its general secretaries, pointing out that the Congress should mind its own business. Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Ambari, he said: “Our tie-up with the BJP is issue-based and in the interest of the state. The Congress says it signals the end of regionalism but it will be better if they look at the mirror and ask why they are in an alliance with the BPF. If you look at it closely, the Congress has lost its national character, tying up with whichever party it can to cling on to power. The elephant will return stronger than before after the polls. The alliance will free the state and the nation from the Congress’ misrule and corruption.” He alleged that what the Congress had done on the law and order front was exposed during the Mumbai terror attack.  AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary later said the issues that had brought the AGP and the BJP together were demands for an end to infiltration, immediate steps for a truce with militant outfits, declaration of flood and erosion as national problems, sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border, updating of the National Register of Citizens, issuance of photo-identity cards and according Scheduled Tribe status to the six communities of Assam.

READ MORE - Congress kicks off poll campaign

Assam Congress would be happy if PM contests from Assam

Guwahati , Mar 8 : The Assam Congress would be happy if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh contests from Assam for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, state power minister Pradyut Bordoloi said today.

"We have not been informed yet if the Prime Minister would be contesting from Assam, but we will be very happy if he decides or expresses his willing to do so," Bordoloi told reporters here.

"Dr Singh represents Assam in the Upper House of Parliament. It is because of his goodwill towards Assam that we have been able to achieve so much development here,"he said.

The Congress would fight the Lok Sabha polls in the state on the slogan of&aposdevelopment', Bordoloi added.

Key issues on which the Congress will reach out to the voters would be communal amity and social justice, besides prevention of infiltration by foreigners, long term measures to arrest floods and erosion and creating income and employment opportunities.

READ MORE - Assam Congress would be happy if PM contests from Assam

Assam Congress decides on six candidates

By K Anurag

Guwahati, March 07 : The ruling Congress has so far decided on party nominees for six Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam while names of prospective candidates for the rest of the constituencies have been screened and sent to the central election committee of the party for final selection.

A senior leader of state Congress informed that the ruling party would field candidates in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam out of the total 14 seats as it has decided to give up one seat for its ally, Bodo People's Front.

"Party candidates for six parliamentary constituencies  Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaliabor, Autonomous Districts (Diphu), Silchar and Karimganj, have been finalized as there was only one aspirant for each of these constituencies," sources said.

Senior party leader from the tea tribe community, Paban Singh Ghatowar will contest from Dibrugarh, Union Minister of State for fertilizer and chemicals, Bijoy Krishna Handique from Jorhat, Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Santosh Mohan Deb from Silchar and sitting party MPs Dip Gogoi, Biren Singh Ingti and Lalitmohan Sukla Baidya will contest from Kaliabor, Diphu and Karimganj constituencies respectively.

Scores of other Congress leaders including women and youth leaders are in the race for party nomination from rest seven parliamentary constituencies. The State party's election committee has sent a downsized list of aspirants to the AICC's election committee for final selection of candidates.

The election committee of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee had a very tough job at hand to pick party nominees for only 14 parliamentary seats out of 126 aspirants. It was an unprecedented rush of aspirants spurred by the party's overwhelming success in all parliamentary and assembly elections in the state since 1999.

"It is for the first time over 120 Congressmen have applied for tickets to contest from the 14 parliamentary onstituencies in the state," a senior party leader said.

Meanwhile, the ruling Congress has already got into the election mood with senior party leaders and ministers including the chief minister embarking on extensive tours across the state addressing public functions and losing not a single opportunity to launch attack on opposition parties.

READ MORE - Assam Congress decides on six candidates

'Congress will win over 200 seats in Assam'

Guwahati, Mar 7 : The Congress would win more than 200 seats in the coming Lok Sabha election and form the next government on its own or along with its UPA allies, AICC general secretary Mabelo Rebelo said here today.

Increasing the number of seats from the present 147, the party would win over 200 seats, Rebelo told reporters while attending a party programme for grass-root workers here.

"The BJP on the otherhand would slide down to 100 from 138 as they have already reached their maximum capacity", she predicted.

To queries if the Congress would enter into any post-poll alliances for forming government, the AICC leader said,"We are already having pre-poll alliances with many political parties. Post poll alliances . We will see to it later".

READ MORE - 'Congress will win over 200 seats in Assam'