GUWAHATI | March 16 : Manipur by-poll victory has buoyed the Trinamool Congress in Assam. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress ignored AICC President Sonia Gandhi’s no-contest plea to put up contestants in 55 of the 62 phase I seats scheduled to go for polls on April 4 in Assam. The party is eying another 55-60 seats of the remaining 64 in phase II on April 11.
Announcing the names of the 55 candidates on Wednesday in Guwahati, Trinamool spokesperson Praveen Rathi said his party was confident of doing well in the forthcoming assembly elections. The confidence appears to have been derived from Trinamool’s unexpected victory in Manipur last month.
Helped by the BJP, Trinamool won the Konthoujam by-election in Manipur with candidate K. Sarat defeating the Congress’ S. Ranjan by 651 votes. Trinamool also has five MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh, and the last time it fielded candidates in Assam (2001), it had won one seat out of seven contested.
Trinamool’s confidence has also been boosted by former ministers and legislators who left the Congress, BJP and Asom Gana Parishad after being denied tickets. Among those who joined Trinamool are Zoii Nath Sarma and Israel Nanda of AGP, Bizit Saikia and Debeswar Bora of Congress and Kartik Sena Sinha of BJP. “We have done our homework well, and have inducted leaders from other parties after careful scrutiny,” said Trinamool general secretary Alok Ghosh. “We have a realistic target of winning at least 25 seats.”
Ghosh added that the AGP and the All India United Democratic Front led by perfume baron Badruddin Azmal had sought an alliance with his party. But Trinamool declined the offer as it is open only to post-poll alliances.
The Trinamool has targeted Bengali Hindus and Bengali Muslims, who together comprise 45% of Assam’s population, even though they have been traditionally the vote-banks of BJP and Congress-AIUDF.
Announcing the names of the 55 candidates on Wednesday in Guwahati, Trinamool spokesperson Praveen Rathi said his party was confident of doing well in the forthcoming assembly elections. The confidence appears to have been derived from Trinamool’s unexpected victory in Manipur last month.
Helped by the BJP, Trinamool won the Konthoujam by-election in Manipur with candidate K. Sarat defeating the Congress’ S. Ranjan by 651 votes. Trinamool also has five MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh, and the last time it fielded candidates in Assam (2001), it had won one seat out of seven contested.
Trinamool’s confidence has also been boosted by former ministers and legislators who left the Congress, BJP and Asom Gana Parishad after being denied tickets. Among those who joined Trinamool are Zoii Nath Sarma and Israel Nanda of AGP, Bizit Saikia and Debeswar Bora of Congress and Kartik Sena Sinha of BJP. “We have done our homework well, and have inducted leaders from other parties after careful scrutiny,” said Trinamool general secretary Alok Ghosh. “We have a realistic target of winning at least 25 seats.”
Ghosh added that the AGP and the All India United Democratic Front led by perfume baron Badruddin Azmal had sought an alliance with his party. But Trinamool declined the offer as it is open only to post-poll alliances.
The Trinamool has targeted Bengali Hindus and Bengali Muslims, who together comprise 45% of Assam’s population, even though they have been traditionally the vote-banks of BJP and Congress-AIUDF.
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