Newly-appointed president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Bhupen Borah and 3 working presidents Rana Goswami, Kamalakhsya Dey Purksyastha and Jakir Hussain Sikdar officially took their charges on Wednesday.
They took the charges at a programme in Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakhetra International Auditorium in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Assam, Jitendra Singh, AICC secretaries, MPs, MLAs and APCC office-bearers.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The event was also attended by senior leaders of the APCC, party members and workers from all the districts of Assam.
The meeting started with the felicitation of distinguished guests and speech by outgoing APCC president, Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora, who officially handed over charge to incumbent president Bhupen Borah.
Ripun Bora said the Congress gave a tough fight to the BJP in the last Assembly election and that the difference of votes between the Congress-led Mahajut and BJP-led Mitrajut was not much.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Also read: Bhupen Borah appointed new Assam Congress president
“The BJP-led Mitrajut got 91 lakh votes while the Congress-led Mahajut secured 88.29 lakh votes. Hence, the difference in percentage of votes is very less, which is just .8 %,” Ripun Bora said.
The AICC general secretary in charge of Assam, Jitendra Singh said, “Congress is a party that gives opportunity to youth and the new generation.”
“The role of the president is to go the mandals and booths – to the grassroots. We have to give meaning to ‘Asom Basao Ahok’ that we undertook in the last Assembly elections and carry it forward to save Assam from divisive politics,” he said.
He also said, “The last election has been one of divisive politics, lies and false promises by the BJP. The new BJP government, which is just four months old, has already shown its true colours. We have seen how they have made a U-Turn of not giving micro-finance loan waive to all women as promised.”
“We have also seen how they made a U-Turn on the promise of increasing the Rs 830 to Rs 3,000 to women beneficiaries but increased it to only Rs 1000, thus only making an increase of Rs 170,” he said.
Singh said, “The promise of making daily wage of tea workers to Rs 351 in 2016 has also not been fulfilled. So, people will soon realize the lies and false promises of BJP.”
He thanked the people of Assam who voted for Congress for standing firm, fighting against the lies and false promises of BJP.
Singh said, “I thank the people of Assam for casting almost one crore votes in our favour.”
Bhupen Borah said, “Today, I assume charge as president with the blessings of the party workers. From the time I was named president, till now, I have been taking advice of the party leaders and workers.”
“I have made a roadmap in my mind on how to move forward. Freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose had said – give me blood, I will give you freedom.”
“I do not ask for blood. Today, I appeal to our party workers to carry out their responsibilities with sincerity and integrity and I promise that we, in the Congress, will form government,” Borah said.
“If every booth presidrent, every ward president, every district president, every secretary and general secretary carry out their responsibilities with integrity then no one will be able to stop us. Ami Asomiya Nohow Dukhiya…. said Sahityaraathi Lakshminath Bezbaruah.”
“And Dr Bhupen Hazarika had carried it forward by saying that we cannot remain complacent and said – Ami Asomiya Nohou Dukhiya Buli Santwana Lobhile Noboho. Ami Asomiyay Nijok Nisinile, Asom Rokhatoloi Jabo. Hence we have to check that Assam is not destroyed,” he added.
“This is the land of Sankardev, Madhabdev and Azan Fakir. We had never heard of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, never heard of Shyama Prasad Mookerji. Whose ideals shall we follow? That of Srimanta Sankardev and Madhabdev, whose sermons we grew up with or Himanta Biswa Sarma and Deen Dayal Upadhyay?” he questioned.
“Late Tarun Gogoi had become CM during a time when secret killings were rampant. He managed to bring in peace and was CM three times. We will wage a righteous war against the treacherous BJP party that have misled the people of Assam.”
Other speakers in the meeting were ex-PCC president Paban Singh Ghatowar, MPs Pradyut Bordoloi, Gaurav Gogoi, Abdul Khaleque, working presidents Rana Goswami, Kamalakhsya Dey Purksyastha, Jakir Hussain Sikdar, CLP leader Debabrata Saikia, deputy CLP leader Rakibul Hussain among others, informed APCC media department chairperson Bobbeeta Sharma.