Shah Holds Meet To Draft Assam Election Strategy

Bharatiya Janata Party President JP Nadda, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and his Cabinet colleague Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence here to discuss strategies for Assam Assembly elections ahead of the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting scheduled tomorrow at the party headquarters.

This meeting of Assam BJP’s core group at Shah’s residence carries much significance as the list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls is likely to be released in tomorrow’s CEC meeting.
Tomorrow’s meeting is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union ministers Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, party chief JP Nadda and party leader BL Santosh among others. The CEC is expected to clear the name of the candidates for polls and will also release the list of the candidates.

In the last assembly election in 2016, the BJP scripted history and formed the government for the first time in Assam ending Congress’ 15-year rule led by former chief minister Tarun Gogoi. BJP and its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) won a combined 86 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly. BJP bagged 60 seats, AGP 14 and BPF 12 seats.

The BPF this week joined the Congress-led seven-party grand alliance ‘Mahajath’ after snapping ties with the ruling BJP. The Mahajath comprises of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Liberation, and the Anchalik Gana Marcha (AGM).

Assam assembly elections will be held in three phases. In the first phase, 47 seats in 12 districts will go to the polls on March 27. In the second phase, 39 constituencies in 13 districts will go to the polls on April 1 while 40 assembly constituencies in 12 districts to go on polls on April 6. Counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)