Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah on Tuesday said, “Congress is giving guarantee that 28 votes will be cast in favour of its Ripun Borah. Let AIUDF give the same guarantee that all the 15 MLAs will vote for the position candidate.”He alleged that at least five MLAs of AIUDF will cross vote and this has been designed by the AIUDF chief and Dhubri MP Badruddin Ajmal who visited the state last week. Ruling BJP in Assam is confident that it will wrest both the seats for the ensuing Rajya Sabha biennial elections.BJP has fielded Pabitra Margherita as its candidate for one Rajya Sabha seat while its ally United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) has fielded Rwngwra Narzary for the second seat. Narzary is the president of UPPL.The Rajya Sabha election in Assam would be held on March 31, 2022, for two seats. Two seats will fall vacant as Rajya Sabha MPs Ranee Narah and Ripun Borah, both from Congress term, will end on April 2. Congress has nominated Borah.Congress and AIUDF which parted ways after assembly polls of Assam last year have come together as AIUDF has decided to support Congress in the Upper house polls.The Congress requires 42 MLAs in the 126-member House to wrest the seat the party claims to have 44 MLAs. Two MLAs Sherman Ali Ahmed and Sashikanta Das – are under suspension.AIUDF chief and Dhubri MP Badruddin Ajmal on Friday last told media persons, ” On the request of congress leader Sonia Gandhi we decided to support Congress in the Upper house seat.”He said there are some congress MlAs who are in the habit of cross voting. ” In the past this happened. “Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said, ” From our side everything is done and we will win both the seats. I will not reveal the numbers now.”BJP has 63 MLAs while its ally Asom Gana Parishad and UPPL has nine and seven MLAS, Congress has 27 MLAS, AIUDF has 15. CPI (M) and Raijor Dal have one each.
Source: Economic Times
