Comment: Wasbir Hussain

Assam voted for development

The Congress in Assam has created electoral history with Tarun Gogoi all set to become the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister. The regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the state’s main Opposition party, has also created history of sorts by being routed for the third time in a row, raising questions about the very relevance of regionalism in the North East. Two things need to be analysed — reasons for the Congress’ thumping victory and causes for the AGP’s rout.

The Congress’s peace and development card and Gogoi’s clean image has paid off with the party breaking its 2001 record of winning 71 seats and securing an absolute majority in this election. That the Congress in Assam was free of any dissident activity and the party focused only on development and welfare schemes such as free bicycles to poor girl students, computers to meritorious students, and free healthcare for the poor, etc, has helped. Corruption charges at the Centre (the 2G scam and Commonwealth Games scam), as well as corruption charges levelled by the combined opposition in Assam (the Rs 1,000 crore scam in North Cachar Hills district), have had no impact in the state.

The AGP’s flip-flop on ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party, its one-time ally, did lead to a lot to confusion among voters. Besides, there always have been huge ego clashes within the party leadership, with insiders still not sure whether it would be its president Chandra Mohan Patowary or legislature party leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who would be the chief minister if the party got sufficient numbers.

While the AGP’s campaign targeted an attack on the Congress, among the few positive points it made in the run-up to the polls was its promise to implement the Assam Accord. But this did not strike a chord. AGP actually came to power in 1985 riding on the massive anti-Bangladesh campaign. But when the it was in power for 10 years, it could expel only about 1500 illegal migrants.

Wasbir Hussain, Writer and political analyst