The Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) has lent its support to candidates of different Opposition parties for the upcoming bypoll in Assam, the party said in a statement on Tuesday.
It urged people not to vote for the BJP-led coalition government in the state in the October 30 bypoll to five assembly seats, saying that the ruling alliance has failed to resolve the people's problems.
RJD will support the CPI candidate in Thowra constituency, AIUDF nominee in Gossaigaon and Congress candidates in Bhabanipur, Tamulpur and Mariani, the statement said.
It alleged that the BJP-led government has failed to address burning issues like price rise and urged the voters to ensure its and its allies' defeat.
Bypoll to Gossaigaon and Tamulpur has been necessitated due to the deaths of the sitting MLAs, while the legislators of Bhabanipur, Mariani, and Thowra resigned from their seats and joined the ruling BJP.
Thowra and Mariani seats were bagged by the Congress in the March-April assembly polls, while the UPPL had won the Gossaigaon constituency. The BPF and the AIUDF had secured Tamulpur and Bhabanipur respectively.
RJD was part of the Congress-led "Grand Alliance" in the state polls held earlier this year. Its other allies were AIUDF, BPF, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM), Adivasi National Party (ANP), and Jimochayan (Deori) Peoples' Party (JPP).
The alliance had, however, fallen apart after the election following its defeat in the hands of the NDA.
In the 126-member Assam assembly, BJP's strength is 59. The ruling allies - AGP and UPPL have nine and five MLAs respectively, while the Congress has 27 legislators, AIUDF has 15 members, BPF three, and CPI(M) has one. There is one Independent member.
Former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has vacated his Majuli seat following his induction in the Union Cabinet but the bypoll for that seat was not announced as he had submitted his resignation after the declaration of dates for the other five seats.
