The call for a regional front against the Bharatiya Janata Party and other mainstream political entities has become shriller after two major students’ organisations birthed a political party.
The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP) had on September 14 launched the Assam Jatiya Parishad. Leaders of these two organisations and affiliates, who spearheaded the six-year Assam Agitation, had similarly formed the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in 1985.
Assam students’ unions float new political party
The AGP rules Assam as a minor ally of the BJP.
“We had been waiting for the AASU-AJYCP party, which is expected to change the political scenario. We are keen on being a stakeholder in a united regional front and we hope other regional parties will join for the sake of the indigenous people of Assam,” said Adip Kumar Phukan, working president of the Asom Songrami Mancha, a regional party whose birth preceded that of the Assam Jatiya Parishad.
Other regional parties that could be a part of the proposed front ahead of the 2021 State elections include the Asom Gana Mancha, formed a few months ago, the Gana Shakti Party and the Autonomous State Demand Committee. The regional parties also hope to rope in the Bodoland People’s Front that is believed to be drifting away from ally BJP.
Two major Assam students’ groups join hands to take anti-CAA movement forward
The proposed front may also accommodate the party that the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) led by jailed peasant rights activist Akhil Gogoi is expected to form soon.
KMSS president Bhasco de Saikia had in August said their party could be launched by October and Mr. Gogoi would be its chief ministerial candidate.
Prior to the formation of the AASU-AJYCP party, Mr. Gogoi had said too many regional parties could hand the BJP an easy victory through division of votes. “It is imperative that all groups against the BJP and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act are on the same platform,” he had said while being taken for a health check-up a few days ago.
Assam Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hoped the Assam Jatiya Parishad would not end up as “a party that only collects donations”. Many organisations are known to survive on donations collected under the slightest of pretext.
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The Assam Jatiya Parishad could contest 100 of the 126 Assembly seats. The BJP and its allies too have set a target of winning 100 seats, 14 more than what they bagged in the 2016 polls.
The Congress resented the AASU-AJYCP’s refusal to its proposal for teaming up against the BJP. “We do not foresee any threat from the new regional party, but all anti-BJP and anti-CAA forces should ideally unite,” said State Congress president Ripun Bora.
The Congress is eyeing an alliance with the All India United Democratic Front headed by perfume baron and parliamentarian Maulana Badruddin Ajmal.
