“In the context of the 'I.N.D.I.A' Alliance, Assam Trinamool is the second-largest party in the state, making the demand for five seats reasonable," explained Ripun Bora on Wednesday.
As the Lok Sabha Election Day comes to a close, the Assam Trinamool Congress has surged into action. The party today convened a significant executive meeting at the Rukmininagar Bihutali auditorium in Guwahati, where more than 300 members from district committees, women's committees, and youth committees across the state came together under the leadership of Assam Trinamool Congress President Ripun Bora.
A notable presence at the meeting was All India Trinamool Congress member and Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen, who observed the event and offered motivation to party workers. Sen used the platform to voice concerns about the BJP governments at both the national and state levels. He emphasized that despite the "double-engine" government in Assam, the state's progress remained elusive, with infrastructure challenges and natural disasters like erosion and flooding plaguing regions by Brahmaputra.
Furthermore, Sen made strong allegations against Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, suggesting that he was involved in various scandals during his tenure in the Congress party. Sen contended that these accusations seemed to fade away once Himanta Biswa Sarma joined the BJP. According to Sen, this move allowed Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife to acquire extensive land holdings after he assumed the position of Chief Minister.
Sen also commented on the formation of the I.N.D.I.A Alliance by the opposition parties to challenge the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He highlighted the withdrawal of BJP allies and the party's diminishing influence in regions like the south India. Notably, the AIADMK from Tamil Nadu recently left the BJP alliance, and Sen predicted that more political parties would join the grand alliance.
Meanwhile, former MP Sushmita Dev, another attendee of the meeting, expressed concerns about the alleged corruption in the Assam government, stating that funds were being concentrated through various contract allocations. She criticized Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's governing style, describing it as authoritarian and devoid of consultation with ministers or senior officials.
In the backdrop of the extended executive meeting, Assam Trinamool Congress President Ripun Bora made a significant announcement regarding seat-sharing in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Bora declared that the Trinamool Congress had become the second-strongest party in Assam, trailing only behind the Congress within the 'I.N.D.I.A’ Alliance.
It is worth noting that following this gathering, the Assam Trinamool Congress has shifted its focus toward strengthening grassroots party activities and bolstering Mandal and Block committees, as revealed by Dilip Sarma, the Media Department President of Assam Trinamool Congress in a press release.
