File photo of Assam Congress chief Anjan Dutta.
The success of the JD(U), RJD and Congress led Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance in Bihar has failed to impress the Congress's party's Assam unit. Ahead of the assembly polls later this year, state leaders have decided not to forge a pre-poll alliance with any party.
The Bihar polls had triggered hope of an anti-BJP alliance in Assam soon after Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister in November. At that time, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had given the call for a Mahabujabujji (a grand understanding) between anti-BJP parties in Assam. The idea was to unite anti-BJP votes.
Later, Nitish Kumar had taken an initiative to bring his Mahagathbandhan model in Assam by bringing the main opposition party in Assam legislative assembly, the AIUDF into the proposed alliance. But the Congress has now categorically stated that the ruling party would not go for any kind of pre-poll alliance for the ensuing polls. The high command has given the state unit a free hand to decide how to fight these crucial polls, sources said.
"The high command had discussed with us and left it on us. We have decided that there will be no pre-poll alliance with AIUDF. We cannot rule out a post-poll alliance with any anti-BJP party including the AIUDF," Assam Congress Chief Anjan Dutta said in a press conference in Guwahati.
Responding to Mr Kumar's initiative, the AIUDF chief Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal met him in Patna. Mr Kumar had later sent his ace election strategist Prashant Kishor to Assam to analyse the prevailing political situation.
"We are also not worried if there is an alliance between BJP and the Bodoland Peoples'Front (BPF). BPF is an opportunist party and people know their reality" Dutta added.
Leaders of Assam state unit of BJP and RSS held a closed-door meeting in Guwahati to finalise possible alliance with the and the Ason Gana Parisad(AGP).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Assam on January 19 and will address two public rallies in Guwahati and Kokrajhar to officially kick start the saffron party's poll campaign in Assam.