Assam Assembly election: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra begins campaign

New Delhi: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will commence her two-day visit to poll-bound Assam from Monday (March 1) to campaign for the Congress party. In her first stop, the Congress general secretary will arrive at Guwahati, where she will visit the Kamakhya temple to offer prayers on behalf of the party, and then will fly to Lakhimpur to start the poll campaign.

Since the Upper Assam region had witnessed strong protests during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act movement, Congress banks on public resentment against the law. Her visit is expected to give momentum to her party’s campaign as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already visited the region thrice. 

Priyanka is expected to visit several districts on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river, where the BJP and its ally, the AGP, are understood to have a strong presence. The BJP-led government has announced several development projects in view of the upcoming elections. 

She is expected to launch an indoor-protest for unemployed youths in Lakhimpur besides visiting two shrines – Mahadev’s Janmasthan in Letekupukhuri and Madhabdev’s Janmasthan in Rangajan, Bihpuria. The Congress general secretary will reportedly hold a meeting with women labourers in Gohpur after paying homage to Majabhairav temple in Tezpur.

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She will address a rally at Hazarpar Stadium in Tezpur. Later, she will also hold an interaction with female tea workers in Sadhary Tea Estate in Biswanath.

BPF joins Congress-led Mahagathbandhan 

Ahead of her visit, the Bodoland People`s Front (BPF) on Sunday joined the Congress-led grand alliance to fight the Assembly polls against the saffron party with the `Mahagathbandhan` leaders urging the other local parties to join it.

The leaders of the Mahagathbandhan said that its chief ministerial candidate would be decided in consultation with the other constituents of the alliance after the Assembly elections are over. With the joining of the BPF led by veteran tribal leader Hagrama Mohilary, the number of parties in the grand alliance rose to seven.

AICC Secretary Anirudh Singh told the media that with the joining of the BPF in the Congress-led grand alliance, the aspirations of the people of Assam are about to find a voice.

Assam Congress President Ripun Bora claimed that it is certain that the Congress-led alliance will come to power on May 2 after the polls in March-April.

(With Agency Inputs)