GUWAHATI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced its decision to abstain from contesting the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat to prevent the division of opposition votes, thereby challenging the Congress to withdraw its candidates from Dibrugarh and Sonitpur.
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They expressed concern over the Congress party's decision to release its list of candidates for 12 Lok Sabha seats in Assam on March 12.
The AAP noted with dismay that the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency, which was previously allotted to the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), and the candidate for the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat are yet to be announced.
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The party lamented that the Congress's decision to include Guwahati, Sonitpur, and Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituencies, which were already declared by the AAP a month ago, in its candidate list is a setback for alliance politics.
The upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections are crucial, given the challenges to democracy and constitutional values posed by the ruling party's autocratic tendencies.
The AAP emphasised the need for united opposition to counter these threats and formed the INDIA alliance at the national level for this purpose.
Despite making significant sacrifices in terms of seat-sharing in various states, including Delhi, Goa, and Gujarat, the AAP accused the Congress of undermining opposition unity in Assam by fielding candidates in constituencies already designated to AAP candidates.
The AAP highlighted instances of pressure exerted by certain Congress leaders on AAP candidates, indicating a lack of suitable candidates from the Congress party itself.
In response to these challenges, the party has taken a decision not to contest from Guwahati.
The party also stated that the integrity of opposition unity in Assam is crucial for countering the BJP's electoral dominance.
Failure on the part of the Congress to heed the AAP's challenge would expose its purported complicity in facilitating the victory of BJP candidates in Dibrugarh and Sonitpur Lok Sabha constituencies.