Newly appointed Congress incharge for Assam Harish Rawat termed the BJP’s political success in northeastern States as people’s ‘one time love’, which will evaporate soon and said that Congress will stand gainer in region in the lok Sabha election slated for early next year.
“The nature of the people of the northeast is not conducive for the BJP. It’s just a one-time love and people have already started realizing. The BJP is taking advantage of its government at th Centre to make inroads to the northeastern states. However, this is not going to last long,” said Rawat while speaking to The Pioneer in an exclusive interview today.
“I am here basically with a twin objective. First to assess the strength and capacity of the party in Assam and also to chalk out a strategy for the forthcoming lok Sabha polls,” said Rawat, who is on a three-day tour of Assa. This is the first tour of the veteran Congress leader after assuming charge as in-charge for Assam. The veteran Congress leader has been visiting every nook and corner of Assam, meeting Congress leaders from grassroots level to Congress MPs and legislators.
“It is just one time exception. The victory of BJP in Assam and other parts of the northeast is not going to continue. The initial enthusiasm in Meghalaya and Manipur has already died down and Tripura also people are realizing the same,” he said.
Rawat said that Congress is going to gain in the lok Sabha polls in the northeast. “I’ll make sure that the Congress could as many as seats in the lok Sabha polls from the region—at least a double digit figure,” he said expressing his happiness over the party’s preparedness in Assam.
The senior Congress leader also slammed the BJP led government in Assam over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2016 and said that the saffron party is trying use the Act as a slogan to polarize th society.
“We do not need to talk on the Act at all. The matte is before the Parliamentary Select Committee and the Constitutional provisions are very clear. There is lot of ambiguity over the issue and the BJP wants to keep the issue hanging just to utilize for political gains only,” he said.
Asked about if the Congress will form an alliance with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) ahead of the lok Sabha poll, Rawat said that as of now he is occupied with the organizational issues and once these issued are settled the party will a take a call on this.