Akhil Gogoi. (File photo)
GUWAHATI: Raijor Dal’s assent to be on board with the opposition Grand Alliance has put the chief promoter Congress in a dilemma as to what should be its priority, minorities or regionalism, as the jailed peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, who heads Raijor Dal, has made it clear his entry would be subject to the ouster of the AIUDF from the combine.
If Congress snaps ties with Badruddin Ajmal’s party, Raijor Dal may get several minority-dominated seats in lower Assam as a part of a seat-sharing deal. This may also brighten up chances of the alliance in upper Assam, where indigenous communities are the deciding factor. Several Congress leaders have opposed the tie-up with Ajmal’s AIUDF, which has always been targeted for allegedly siding with migrant Muslims. The BJP has also been targeting the Congress this election for its tie-up with AIUDF.