GUWAHATI: The entry of MGVK Bhanu though has been welcomed by the rank and file of Congress party, it seems, his seeking of ticket has not gone down well with Congress leaders. It is understood that while senior Congress leaders have backed the entry of Bhanu into Congress, in terms of his candidature from Tezpur under Congress has hit a massive roadblock.
Many senior Cong leaders have voiced their opposition to his being given a ticket at this juncture. First, Tezpur seat has traditionally been given to a person of Nepali origin by both Congress and BJP in recent times and there is no reason why both parties would deviate from this time tested method. Secondly, the demographic composition of the Tezpur constituency favours the BJP more than the Congress party. The Congress this time may, however, opt for an unconventional candidate in the face of the resentment faced by BJP especially amongst the indigenous people of the state.
The Congress is in a fix for Tezpur Lok Sabha as last time contestant and AICC Secretary, Bhupen Bora has declined to contest. Talks are on to bring in former speaker and ex-MLA Tanka Bahadur Rai who is close to former CM Tarun Gogoi to represent the Tezpur Lok Sabha seat. Rai who is a Gorkha and given the sizeable Gorkha voters in Tezpur has a better chance of giving a fight to another Gorkha and BJP MP, R P Sarmah. Interestingly, Tanka Bahadur Rai has so far stayed away from the race.
Speaking to G Plus a senior Congressman from Tezpur said that it is true that there is discontentment among the Congress workers regarding Bhanu’s candidature. “Since 1991 this seat has been represented by someone from the indigenous community, may it be Congress or the BJP.
The demand is always for a local person from among the communities. Also, this is clearly a Gorkha dominated seat and it would be wrong to give a message that someone from outside the local community will be given a ticket. Bhanu during his tenure had shown very little value towards the Congress workers and it is doubtful that after getting a ticket his attitude will change. Moreover, many senior Congress leaders are against giving Bhanu a ticket. Even the former chief minister is not very keen on Bhanu representing Tezpur. The number of leaders during his joining ceremony is an indicator of what they feel about the move,” revealed the Congressman.