Raijor Dal Revises Candidate List, Withdraws Three Nominees to Bolster Opposition Alliance in Assam
In a strategic maneuver to challenge the ruling coalition, Congress ally Raijor Dal has withdrawn three candidates from the upcoming Assam assembly elections. Party chief Akhil Gogoi described this decision as a necessary sacrifice to enhance opposition unity against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Revised Candidate List Unveiled with 12 Nominees
On Sunday, Akhil Gogoi announced a revised list of 12 candidates, removing Harikanta Das from Nowboicha, Babul Sonowal from Dhemaji, and Romen Chandra Borthakur from Jalukbari. These seats have been ceded to Congress candidates as part of the alliance agreement. Akhil expressed apologies to the three leaders, emphasizing that their tickets were relinquished to finalize the opposition coalition.
Raijor Dal plans to announce one additional candidate for Bokakhat, who will contest against Asom Gana Parishad president Atul Bora. Once this nomination is finalized, the party will field a total of 13 candidates in the elections.
Final Candidate Details and Strategic Adjustments
The revised list includes prominent figures such as former Congress leader and sitting MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal from Goalpara East, student and youth leader Rahul Cherty from Margherita, and others like Abul Mian from Gauripur and Azizur Rahman from Dalgaon. Notable changes include Dulal Moran replacing Lakhyajyoti Gogoi as the candidate from Digboi.
Akhil clarified that candidates previously announced but omitted from the new list are no longer in contention. He acknowledged the difficulty of withdrawing candidates but stressed it was essential for opposition unity and to counter what he termed the "communal BJP-RSS."
Sacrifices Made for Electoral Strategy
Explaining the reduction from an initial plan to contest 64 seats, Akhil stated, "We were ready to contest polls in 64 assembly constituencies but had to reduce the number of seats to only 13 for the sake of defeating BJP. We were helpless and that’s why we had to leave out an MLA like Sherman Ali Ahmed, and party’s working president Romen Chandra Borthakur and senior leaders like Dhaijjya Konwar."
He highlighted the strong winning prospects of Babul Sonowal and the capabilities of Harikanta Das, comparing him to Moslemuddin Ahmed, Raijor Dal’s candidate from Birsing Jaruwa. "Since our main target is to defeat BJP and save the country and community, we are unable to give tickets to many competent candidates. I apologise to all with folded hands," Akhil added.
Akhil Gogoi’s Confidence in Re-election
Akhil, who won the 2021 assembly election from jail, expressed confidence in securing victory again. He attributed this to his efforts in bringing numerous development schemes to Sivasagar, despite serving on the opposition bench for the past five years.
This move underscores Raijor Dal's commitment to a unified opposition front, aiming to maximize electoral gains against the BJP in Assam.
