With assembly polls in Assam slated for next month the political parties here are busy tackling protests within their ranks over selection of candidates instead of concentrating on campaigning.
Ruling Congress, opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and BJP are facing protests by their workers who have ransacked party offices besides holding demonstrations.
Efforts to douse the workers’ anger have led to a situation that parties are yet to finalise their candidates or their poll strategies and hit the campaign trail though the first phase in Assam is scheduled just over a fortnight away on April 4.
BJP was the first to face the wrath of the workers after the announcement of its candidates list. The disgruntled workers went on a rampage at the party headquarters here over the selection of the Morigaon and Guwahati contestants.
Main opposition AGP was the next to be hit by dissension. Discontended supporters of some of the party’s leaders shouted slogans at its headquarters here and even gheraoed party president Chandra Mohan Patowary.
The regional party’s office in Nalbari district was also a target of protestors for similar reasons.
Congress faced workers’ ire yesterday with a section of its workers vandalising the party headquarters Rajiv Bhavan here. Just as AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh arrived hundreds of angry supporters gheraoed him, shouted slogans protesting the candidatures of Kirip Chaliha (Hajo) instead of Haren Das and Jayanta Das (Boko) instead of Gopinath Das.
The workers alleged that Jayanta Das was given a ticket despite criminal charges against him and the securitymen resorted to lathicharge to control the situation when they vandalised the office.
Sources in the parties claimed that the demonstrators were a savvy lot and informed the TV channels which have mushroomed here beforehand to cover the violence.
All the three parties are yet to announce their manifestos for the two phased poll.
