GUWAHATI: Leaders of the United Opposition Forum (UOF) in Assam on Thursday committed to work in unison to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The parties also decided to work together till the 2026 assembly polls in Assam
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Leaders of UOF sat in a crucial meeting at Hotel Lily here in the presence of presidents of all national and regional political parties.
With the joining of two new parties- Shiv Sena and All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC), the strength of the UOF has gone up to 15.
Earlier, All India Forward Block (AIFB) has joined hands with the opposition forum.
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In the meeting, Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal clarified that they will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections against the BJP-led alliance in Assam.
“Raijor Dal has already resolved not to field any candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, but we will work jointly with the United Opposition Forum to defeat BJP in the election,” Raijor Daal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi told reporters after the meeting.
“Leaders also decided to form a coordination committee comprising of all presidents of political parties in the next meeting to be held in Dibrugarh in November. The forum will also open an office and a media centre in the city shortly,” Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) spokesperson Bedabrat Bora said..
The forum will also hold meetings in all 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state.
The United Opposition has also decided to launch a mass movement against the landscape of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s family.
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For a common minimum programme (CMP), Assaam TMC president and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora has been entrusted to prepare a draft to be tabled in the next meeting of the forum.
Rajya Sabha MP and Asom Jatiya Dal president Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain have been entrusted to prepare a draft chargesheet against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and table it in the next meeting of the Forum.
The meeting discussed a unified plan of action for the upcoming elections.
Before the formation of the INDIA Bloc, the United Opposition Forum in a meeting on March 9 decided for a ‘two-tier alliance’ in the state during next year’s Lok Sabha elections and 2026 assembly elections.
“All the parties have come to an understanding that they will not play a spoilsport by demanding more seats in the upcoming polls. We are confident that there won’t be any conflicting situation for tickets in the state,” Bora said.
“We will field one opposition candidate from our forum in each seat against BJP and its allies. We are not concerned about AIUDF,” he said.