Will Assam vote back Gogoi8230;

As Assam goes to the final phase of polling on Monday, the big question being asked across the state is: Will the Congress be able to retain power?

As Assam goes to the final phase of polling on Monday, the big question being asked across the state is: Will the Congress be able to retain power?

Though CM Tarun Gogoi has been displaying tremendous confidence by claiming that the AGP is a divided house and that the minority vote will not split, his recent appearances before the media have not been very encouraging. While he almost lost his cool early last week, on Saturday he hit out at the owners of two leading newspapers and a television channel, claiming they were running an anti-Congress campaign.

That the Congress, which won a record 71 seats in the 2001 elections, is worried about Badruddin Ajmal8217;s AUDF taking away a major chunk of the party8217;s traditional migrant Muslim votes, was evident when it roped in every possible Muslim leader sympathetic to it for its campaign.

With the bitter memories of the now defunct United Minorities Front contributing to the defeat of the Congress in 1985 still fresh, the emergence of the AUDF is a major worry for the Congress.

The Congress also has a problem with sitting Barpeta MP and veteran Muslim leader AF Golam Osmani claiming that he would ensure the party does not win in any of the 10 segments of his Lok Sabha constituency. The Congress, which has expelled over 40 leaders and members for anti-party activities since the poll process began, however has not touched Osmani at all.

But the Congress8217; problems have not brought much cheer to the AGP either. Party general secretary Hitendra Nath Goswami has already gone on record that the regional party would on its own win at the best 57 seats. 8220;The rest are coming from our allies which includes the CPI and CPIM,8221; Goswami said. The AGP, which is contesting in 99 of the 126 constituencies, has left 15 to the two Left parties, six to the Bodoland People8217;s Progressive Front, four to the Autonomous State Demand Committee and two to the Trinamul Gana Parishad.