Congress to join hands with other secular parties: Gogoi

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said ruling Congress will join hands with other secular forces in the state in the Assembly election scheduled early next year to keep the 'communal' BJP at bay.
Encouraged by the electoral success of the grand alliance of Bihar, of which the Congress is a member, Gogoi said the Congress was ready to work with all secular forces such as the AIUDF, Asom Gana Parishad and Communist parties to ensure the defeat of the saffron party.
Stating that unlike in Bihar, there will be no pre-poll grand alliance with any party in Assam, he said, "There can be a 'grand understanding'. The Congress will contest the elections alone but we will work with secular parties to defeat communal forces."

However, he said, "Congress can contest and win on its own in Assam."
Dubbing the BJP as a 'communal party', Gogoi said, it would not be able to make any impact in the state.
"(BJP) has no base here and so poses no threat to us. It is running its show here on borrowed leaders from other parties or workers coming in from other states," Gogoi said.