AAP withdraws Guwahati candidate, challenges Congress to take similar step on two LS seats

GUWAHATI — The AAP on Friday withdrew its candidate from the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat to stop the division of Opposition votes.

However, the party also threw a “challenge” to the Congress to withdraw candidates from two other seats where the AAP has already announced its candidates.

In a letter to Assam Congress President, Bhupen Borah, the state chief of AAP Bhaben Choudhury wrote, “The Aam Aadmi Party has decided to make the highest sacrifice to avoid division of votes, for Opposition unity. The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of AAP has decided not to contest the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat.

“As you know, the AAP won the second-highest number of votes in the Guwahati Municipal Corporation elections after the BJP. However, to avoid splitting the votes of the Opposition, we have decided not to contest the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat.”

However, Bhaben Choudhury accused the Congress of playing spoilsport in the Opposition alliance.

He mentioned in the letter, “Discussions on seat sharing have been going on in Assam for several months. When the Opposition across the country is united, it has been our highest effort to maintain Opposition unity in Assam as well. After all our efforts, when there were no results until February, we announced three candidates.

“Despite our announcement, talks between the Congress and the AAP continued – both in Assam and Delhi. We were told that a solution would definitely be found. But when the Congress announced its candidates for all the seats in Assam on March 12 we were totally shocked by this approach. Will it not be helping the BJP by dividing the votes? Will it not help the BJP?”

The AAP has also challenged the Congress and the United Opposition Forum of several parties in Assam to withdraw their candidates from two Lok Sabha seats.

The letter stated, “We also challenge the Congress party and United Opposition Forum to reciprocate our gesture by withdrawing candidates from Sonitpur and Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat. Else it will be clear that the Congress party has done a setting with the BJP and is fighting only to make sure BJP wins. People of Assam will not accept this.”

Also read: Assam opposition bloc in soup after TMC contends for four seats