Assam: Ahead of assembly polls, Congress wins both Rajya Sabha seats in cross-voting

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Anjan Dutta felicitates the newly elected Rajya Sabha MPs Rani Narah and Ripun Bora at Assam Legislative Assembly in Guwahati on Monday. (Source: PTI)

Having won both Rajya Sabha seats from Assam, the Congress Monday called it a trailer ahead of the Assembly polls on April 4 and 11. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) vice-president Ripun Bora and former Union minister Ranee Narah were declared elected, as opposition AIUDF, AGP, BJP and BPF abstained from polling. Mahabir Prasad Jain, a businessman who was sponsored by 10 BPF MLAs as an Independent candidate, failed to open his account.

Underscoring the fact that five of AIUDF’s 18 legislators voted in favour of Congress candidates, APCC president Anjan Dutta said, “This also indicates how the opposition parties will fare in the Assembly polls,” Dutta said. “This (Rajya Sabha election) was just the trailer of what is in store for the Opposition in the elections.”

Pointing out that BPF, an ally of BJP in the state polls, “backed out” on poll day, Dutta said, “Its MLAs sponsored an Independent candidate but disowned him on polling day. Opposition parties who have forged an alliance for Assembly polls did not even show up for the Rajya Sabha election. They have themselves proved that the alliance is not in good shape.”