Cong, AIUDF support anti-CAA voice Bhuyan’s RS candidature

Assam Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on Wednesday decided to extend their support for third Rajya Sabha seat to an Independent candidate and journalist Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, who was backed by the anti-CAA lobby in Assam.

The development is significant as it comes at the time when both parties are stitching an alliance to fight for the third Rajya Sabha seat that BJP and its allies are not contesting.

The ruling BJP, which released its first list of Rajya Sabha candidate nominations for the session 2021 on Wednesday, has nominated Bhubaneswar Kalita from Assam.

Mr Kalita had contested the last Lok Sabha elections from Mangaldai constituency but lost to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Dilip Saikia. Born on April 1, 1951, at Rangiya in Kamrup (Rural) district of Assam, Mr Kalita became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 2008 and was reelected in 2014 on Congress party ticket.

The ruling BJP has given the second seat to Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) leader Biswajit Daimary who on Wednesday filed his nomination for one of the two seats. Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal was present when Mr Daimary filed his nomination. BJP and its allies – Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) are certain to win the other two seats because the numbers they have in the assembly.

Earlier the AIUDF had proposed the name of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi but the two parties have been looking for a neutral candidate when Mr Bhuyan, who has been a strong voice behind the anti-CAA movement in the state, requested for the support of his candidature as an Independent candidate.

Assam Congress president Ripun Bora while announcing the decision said, “We had received a written request from journalist Ajit Kumar Bhuyan seeking our support for his candidature as an independent candidate for the Rajya Sabha. In the national interest, we have decided to support his candidature.” In the present strength of state assembly, opposition Congress and AIUDF have the sufficient number of legislators to win the third seat.