Indecisive Congress sits on a time bomb; Can Bhupen Borah, Pradyut Bordoloi, Gaurav Gogoi prevent catastrophe ?

GUWAHATI: Time is ticking for Assam Congress to prepare for the by-polls in at-least five constituencies of Assam, yet the party is indecisive about how to go about it- with or without a Grand Alliance!

Miffed with its two major partners- All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and the Bodoland People’s Party (BPF), the party on many occasions is seen talking about coming out of the Grand Alliance off late. Yet no official confirmation is out of this.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Friday said that the many party workers in grass-root and district level want the party to fight alone. However he said the party has not come to a concrete decision regarding the matter.

In the past Assembly polls, though it was expected that the popular sentiments will ride with Gaurav Gogoi after the passing of his father and Congress stalwart and three times CM Tarun Gogoi. But to the party’s  utter disappointment, the party could not reclaim power.

Two days back, President Bhupen Borah has also indicated of breaking up with AIUDF. Citing that many leaders from the grand alliance are supporting the BJP ruled government, Borah said, “This is against the principle based on which the Grand Alliance was formed.”

But indecisiveness till this day when the elections are on the threshold is definitely going to cost the Congress.

The party seems to be more concerned about keeping its leaders happy by giving issuing tickets for by-polls rather than showing maturity and strategies a poll-plan that actually works in favour of Congress. However, this trend in Congress is not new.

Even the senior leaders of party to the likes of Pradyut Bordoloi seem to lack the charisma to be the next face of Congress. Party supporters often blame former President Ripun Bora for showing poor result in the Assembly Polls 2021.

The party has failed to bring out its second line of commanders and chose to give tickets to those candidates who did not have any chance to win for the party in the past polls.

In absence of heavyweights like Sushmita Dev, Rupjyoti Kurmi, Sushanta Borgohain etc., Congress has ‘leaders’ that can be counted with the fingers of one hand. Without a plan and without people to executive the plan to stop BJP from gaining five seats in by-polls, seems like Congress cannot undo what it has already done in terms of choosing a candidate.

Political analysts often blame the alliance of AIUDF with Congress as a death knell and say it was one of the main reason for the party to show very poor performance in constituencies dominated by Non-Bengal-origin minorities. The state is going polls for Mariani, Thowra, Majuli, Tamulpur and Gossaigaon constituency.

The indecisiveness of Assam Congress can actually help the ruling BJP. The party, in the first part of this month has declared that it was going to fight the polls with its pre-poll alliance partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United Peoples’ Party Liberal (UPPL).

The UPPL though lost the Gossaigaon seat to Bodoland People’s Party in the Assembly polls, it seems that BPF leader Hagrama Mohilary is already in talks with BJP for forging an alliance.

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