Guwahati: Assam’s opposition alliance suffered a blow on Sunday after Raijor Dal (RD) president Akhil Gogoi said under present circumstances, RD cannot fight the assembly elections as a Congress partner.While Congress agreed to concede four of RD’s “preferred seats” to the regional party headed by Sivasagar MLA Akhil, the two sides could not settle differences in the minority-inhabited Dhing seat in central Assam, where both have strong aspirants.RD working president Bhasco De Saikia earlier said the alliance could be finalised if Congress added one more “preferred seat” to the 13 seats offered to RD.Akhil told the media on Sunday that Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi’s words and body language are not in favour of the alliance. “His approach is not respectable for the alliance partners. Congress is adamant on relinquishing just four seats of our choice, which is grossly unfair. For us, it is not possible to take the alliance talks ahead with Congress,” Akhil said.Akhil added that if Congress gave up the Dhing constituency, RD was prepared to go ahead with the alliance, where Congress joined hands with 3 other parties. Last week, Gaurav Gogoi held a press conference and said Congress, Assam Jatiya Parishad, All Party Hills Leaders’ Conference and CPM would soon begin a joint campaign. RD, CPI-ML (Liberation) and CPI were not invited to the press conference, even though all these parties were in talks with Congress for a united opposition front against BJP and its allies in the coming elections.Dhing is a Muslim-majority seat where Congress MLA Sibamoni Bora wants to contest.Akhil claimed the AICC leaders were earlier willing to relinquish Dhing to RD. “Only Gaurav Gogoi and Rakibul Hussain (Dhubri MP) were not ready to relinquish Dhing, though several other Congress leaders were ready for it,” Akhil claimed. He added that Pradyut Bordoloi, the Congress MP from Nagaon under which Dhing falls, was ready to relinquish Dhing to RD to build the alliance.Akhil held Gaurav and Rakibul responsible for the breakdown of the proposed alliance, alleging that Gaurav was also not willing to work out a common minimum programme with RD.
