Jailed Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi on Saturday through an open letter appealed to the people of the State to vote for the strongest non-BJP candidate in every constituency in the upcoming assembly election to "save Assam".
Mr. Gogoi, contesting from the Sibsagar constituency, sent from jail an open letter that was read out by his political outfit's advisor Dr Sitanath Kahkar at a press conference in Guwahati.
"I am sending this letter from jail to save Assam and its people's future from the anti-democratic BJP", Gogoi said.
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Asserting that the future of Assam and its people is "dark under BJP rule", the Raijor Dal leader urged all those who oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the BJP to unitedly vote against the saffron party in this 2021 Assembly election.
"Assam's future will depend on the people and they have to take the final decision to save the State. If Assam is to be saved then do not vote for BJP or those in favour of CAA", he appealed.
"This party has sold the assets of Assam and kept the future of the State in custody of Delhi. Therefore, we must unitedly defeat BJP and its alliance partners in the election. It is the call of the times and our duty to do so. It is a matter of life and death", Mr. Gogoi asserted.
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He said before the election’s discussions were held with anti-CAA political parties, including Congress and the newly formed Assam Jatiya Parishad and decisions were even taken to field joint candidates "but suddenly they turned around and they put up their own contestants having failed to hear the voice of the people and perceive their hopes and aspirations".
Mr. Gogoi said that since BJP came to power in 2016, "they have kept me in jail for nearly two years of their five-year term." "I am undergoing extreme mental and physical trauma in jail during this period. Don't know what my future holds but understood that the future of Assam and its people is dark under BJP rule," he said.