BPF flies candidates to Singapore
Cong-led alliance confident of Assam win, fears BJP is making poaching attempts
After the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) shifted prospective winning candidates to Jaipur in Rajasthan, fearing poaching by the ruling BJP, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), a constituent party of the Congress-led grand alliance, has also shifted 10 of its 11 candidates in the recently held Assembly polls in Assam to a foreign location. They are understood to be in Singapore.
It is significant that two days ago the 10-party Opposition grand alliance had flown out 20 candidates — 18 from the AIUDF and two from the
Congress — to Rajasthan.
The only BPF candidate left in Assam is former minister Pramila Rani Brahma, who herself confirmed this development. “Yes, they have left on Saturday but I have no idea which country exactly they are visiting. I could not contact them,” Ms Brahma told reporters.
Pointing out how one BPF candidate was lured to retire from the contest a few days before polling, a BPF party source said that their party chief decided to send them to Singapore on a pleasure trip. Sources said 16 members of the Council Legislative Assembly (MCLA) of the Bodoland Territorial Council also accompanied them.
Ms Brahma, however, clarified that the MCLAs had plans to go on a foreign holiday after the month-long hectic election campaign. She also feared that the possibility of horse-trading could not be ruled out.
Asserting that the ruling BJP-led alliance was not going to get a majority in the Assembly polls, she said that given the past record of some BJP leaders, the Opposition can’t be complacent and be a silent spectator.
“We have to be cautious. We are trying to protect our candidates from the BJP’s anti-democratic activities,” Congress MLA and Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia told reporters.
If insiders are to be believed, the Congress-led grand alliance is hopeful of getting a simple majority in the Assembly polls, for which counting of vote will take place on May 2, but they are extremely worried about the possible poaching by the ruling party, which is alleged to have already started meeting prospective winning candidates informally.