Published 19:47 IST, January 15th 2020
'Not me, someone else': Ex-Assam CM Tarun Gogoi makes curious pitch for new regional party
Republic TV spoke to Congress leader and former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi over his pitch of a new political front in the state to take on the ruling BJP
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There is massive speculation around senior Congress leader and former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's next move. On Saturday, the leader said a new political party is a necessity in Assam to throw BJP out of power. He was later missing from the Congress Working Committee meeting the same day in New Delhi.
Republic TV spoke to the veteran Congressman over his recent pitch. "We want a regional party. The AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) tied up with the BJP and it's now disappeared. AGP is dying. Those opposed to CAA and not in favour of Congress should form a party. Our sole motive is to defeat the BJP," Gogoi said.
Matter of electoral politics
Tarun Gogoi necessitated his argument saying that those in opposition to "communal parties" like BJP need to constitute a formal front. "It is a matter of electoral politics. We won't be able to check these communal parties with their divisive agenda if we don't defeat them is polls. I'm not asking them to form a new party, I am saying there is a need." He insisted that his statement does not mean the Congress has failed as an opposition party but that others opposed to BJP should form an outfit that can take on the BJP alongside Congress.
Dynamic Assam politics
Congress party has been at the receiving end of changing political dynamics in Assam. The BJP successfully pulled leaders like Himanta Biswa Sarma in 20166 to win the Assembly elections in alliance with AGP and other smaller parties. However, Assam has been on the boil since the NDA government at the Centre passed a new citizenship law that cleared the path for non-Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh to gain citizenship, inviting backlash against the BJP.
Earlier, the Congress and the opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) had proposed CM Sarbananda Sonowal to dump the BJP and flip sides to form a coalition with UPA in their joint opposition to CAA.
19:44 IST, January 15th 2020