Congress must give Raijor Dal minimum 12 Assembly seats: Akhil Gogoi

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Guwahati, Feb 21 (IANS) The regional party in Assam, Raijor Dal leader and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi, on Saturday, asserted that his party would not compromise on seat-sharing with the Congress and demanded at least 15 seats in the upcoming state Assembly elections, saying that even if the number is reduced, the party must be given a minimum of 12 Assembly constituencies of its choice.

Addressing reporters after a meeting of Raijor Dal leaders here, Gogoi said the party’s demand was based on its growing political strength and grassroots presence across Assam.

“Raijor Dal needs 15 Assembly seats. Even if that is not possible, the Congress will have to concede at least 12 seats of our choice. There can be no alliance without a respectable understanding,” he added.

He also said that Raijor Dal is prepared to make political sacrifices to project Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi as the Chief Ministerial face of the Opposition alliance, if such a consensus helps defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam.

“We are ready to make all sacrifices to see Gaurav Gogoi as the Assam Chief Minister. The larger goal is to protect Assam and defeat the BJP,” he added.

Akhil Gogoi’s remarks come amid ongoing discussions among opposition parties over alliance formation and seat-sharing arrangements ahead of the forthcoming state elections.

Talks between the Congress and regional parties, including Raijor Dal, have gained momentum as the Opposition seeks to put up a united challenge to the ruling BJP-led coalition in the state.

Raijor Dal, which positions itself as a pro-people regional force, has been pressing for greater representation in any opposition alliance, citing its role in mobilising mass movements and its performance in recent elections.

The Congress, however, has so far refrained from making any formal announcement on seat-sharing, saying that discussions are still at a preliminary stage.

Political observers believe Akhil Gogoi’s firm stance reflects the growing assertiveness of smaller regional parties in Assam’s opposition space, where electoral arithmetic and leadership projection are emerging as key issues.

The BJP, which currently holds power in Assam, has repeatedly dismissed the Opposition’s alliance efforts as unstable and driven by personal ambitions.

With negotiations expected to continue in the coming days, the Opposition’s ability to arrive at a consensus on seat-sharing and leadership could prove crucial in shaping the political battle in Assam.

–IANS

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The clash erupted on Monday in Timri village, under the jurisdiction of Patan police station, due to a long-standing rivalry between the Pathak and Sahu families over gambling activities.

Eyewitnesses revealed that members of the Pathak family, including Satish and Manish Pathak, attended a gathering to resolve the month-long conflict. However, they were ambushed by members of the Sahu family, who were allegedly armed with sharp weapons.

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Fantasy built on propaganda: Bhupender Yadav slams Rahul Gandhi’s ‘match-fixing’ claims

Kolkata, June 10 (IANS) Union Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent article alleging “match-fixing” in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, calling it a “fantasy built on propaganda”.

In an op-ed titled ‘Maharashtra’s sore losers’, Yadav accused Gandhi of spreading falsehoods and undermining constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission of India (ECI), despite being part of the very mechanisms he now questions, calling it a “frustrated” attempt to delegitimise the electoral process after the Congress’ poor performance.

“He is questioning the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner, forgetting that he himself is part of the selection committee. This is sheer hypocrisy,” Yadav told IANS.

Rahul Gandhi, in his article titled ‘Match-fixing Maharashtra’, had raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the electoral process, including manipulation of voter rolls and partisan conduct of the ECI.

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“With the same restrictions and limited rerouting options, unfortunately, Almaty and Tashkent are outside the operational range of IndiGo’s current fleet. Hence, flights to Almaty stand cancelled from 27th of April until at least 7th of May and to Tashkent from 28th of April until 7th May 2025,” the airline said in a statement.

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Air India and IndiGo have announced that their international flights will take an alternative extended route, after Pakistan closed its airspace for India amid rising diplomatic tensions following the Islamabad-sponsored barbaric Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

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With this, the duration of some of the US and European flights operated by Indian airlines will increase in the range of 2 to 2.5 hours.

Air India has also said that due to the announced restriction of Pakistan airspace for all Indian airlines, it is expected that some Air India flights to or from North America, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East will take an alternative extended route.

With Pakistan closing its airspace for India, domestic airlines will need to take a longer route, resulting in higher fuel burn and possibly increased airfares, according to industry experts.

Pakistan’s move will affect flights to Central Asia, West Asia, Europe, the UK, and North America.

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In 2019, when Pakistan closed its airspace after the Balakot airstrikes, Indian airlines lost nearly Rs 700 crore owing to higher fuel expenses, according to industry figures.

–IANS

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