The upcoming Assam assembly elections slated to be held next year. This time the path to power for the ruling BJP would not be smooth due to some policies adopted by the Narendra Modi government. Several organizations protested against the Citizenship(Amendment) Act earlier this year of which two influential outfits already formed a new political party to contest in the upcoming polls. Moreover, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity(KMSS) led by RTI activist Akhil Gogoi, who has been kept behind bars since November, 2019, announced that it will also form a new regional political party. These activities of the non-political organizations are bringing challenges to the BJP, whose major voter base in the state lies among the indigenous populace, who have been residing in the state since prior to the arrival of the British. These organizations also represent indigenous people of the state which consist of a large number of trial people.
The challenge in front of the BJP is growing by the day as the All Assam Tribal Sangha, the umbrella organization of the state tribal people organizations has pledged to form a political party. Sangha’s General Secretary Aditya Khakhlari informed media that it has organised a conclave on October 15, 2020 at Pragjyoti ITA Centre, Guwahati.
In the conclave, which is likely to be attended by the representatives of different tribal organizations across the state, formal announcement would be made on forming a new political party, Khakhlari hinted. “Tribal people play a deciding role in the elections in 65 assembly constituencies in the state. We are going to form our political party. The party will stand for the cause of the tribal people,” he added. He also hinted that the name of the proposed party would probably be christened as the United People’s Front.There are 126 assembly constituencies in the state. In the last state assembly elections, the BJP along with its two allies–AGP and BPF won 84 seats.
It needs mention here that already two new regional political parties have been formed by different organisations of the state. Last month, the AASU and the AJYCP have jointly formed a new party namely Asom Jatiya Parishad(AJP). On the otherhand, senior advocate and writer Arup Borbora and a few others have formed another political outfit.
Raktim Baruah is a Guwahati based journalist
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