'Congress Done Setting With BJP': AAP Withdraws Guwahati Candidate, Demands Congress To Prove Loyalty To Opposition Bloc

The Assam unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday announced that they are going to withdraw their candidate from the Guwahati Lok Sabha constituency as they are dissatisfied with the seat-sharing deal with Congress in the northeastern state.

AAP also accused Congress of secretly allinging with the ruling saffron party as they think the candidate list announcement for Assam will benefit the BJP more than the INDIA bloc. "for the sake of opposition unity" to defeat the ruling BJP nominee.

AAP demanded the Congress to also withdraw its candidates from Dibrugarh and Sonitpur seats, for which the AAP has declared its nominees.

Both the Congress and AAP are part of the 16-party United Opposition Forum, Assam (UOFA), formed to contest the general elections together, but a rift had emerged with members of the forum announcing candidates against each other in various constituencies of the state.

What happened between AAP and Congress in Assam?

The Congress party declared its candidate list for 12 seats on Tuesday, leaving Dibrugarh for UOFA partner Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and still remaining undecided on the candidate for another seat, Lakhimpur.

AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi's name was announced as the candidate for Dibrugarh earlier on Friday.

Back in February, the AAP had named its state president Bhaben Chaudhary for Guwahati, Manoj Dhanowar for Dibrugarh and Rishi Raj Kaundiniya for Sonitpur.

The AAP pointed out that for the sake of defeating the BJP-led NDA, it has made "adjustments and sacrifices" in different states, but alleged that the Congress did not reciprocate the spirit in Assam.

AAP in their announcement expressed shock at the candidates list by Congress in Assam released on March 12, they questioned, "will it not be helping the BJP by diving the votes?"

AAP mentioned in their recent statement that they announced their candidates for the three seats a month ago as there was a delay in reaching a consensus on candidates and constituencies of the UOFA.

Further AAP wrote, "But strangely, the Congress announced its candidates in the three constituencies for which we had already named our candidates, leading to a crisis in the united opposition politics."

AAP will still participate in the elections in Dibrugarh and Sonitpur.

AAP demanded Congress to withdraw their candidates in order to prove that they are not aligned with BJP secretly, in their statement, AAP wrote, "If the Congress does not withdraw its candidates, it will become clear that the Congress is contesting Dibrugarh and Sonitpur to ensure victory for the BJP."