Party leaders skip ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Assam, signify fresh trouble for Cong

Guwahati: The Assam version of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ of the Congress has completed one month. It started from Dhubri district and is set to cover a distance of 834 km from Dhubri to Sadiya before it ends in mid-December.

The state leaders launched the yatra from Golakganj town in Dhubri district near the India-Bangladesh border on November 1.

It was always a question whether the Congress, which is already a diminishing force in Assam, can connect the people and party workers with this campaign.

Before the launch, the grassroot party workers did not look enthused about the yatra. There was confusion among the cadres about it and the state unit failed to galvanize them.

Though the Congress yatra has drawn significant crowds in some places so far, the party might not get the support it requires to put up a strong fight against the BJP in the next elections.

The biggest worry for the party is that many of its workers have stayed away from the campaign.

Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah also accepted this fact. He said: “We have noticed that many party workers have skipped the yatra in Assam. At least 30 percent of the office bearers are absent from the Bharat Jodo Yatra.”

They include some senior party leaders and MLAs and it has created an uncomfortable situation within the party. Borah said that many party workers attend meetings only when the party in-charge of Assam, Jitendra Singh Alwar, comes to the state.

Meanwhile, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jitendra Singh Alwar has directed Assam Pradesh Congress president Bhupen Borah to provide the list of leaders and party workers who have skipped the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

In a letter to Borah, Singh wrote: “I have been joining the Yatra from time to time and have noticed that some APCC office bearers, executive members, DCC/Block President/OBs and leaders are not attending this yatra or have not made any efforts to make this historic yatra a success. Kindly prepare a list of such office bearers/executive members/leaders and submit it immediately after the yatra ends.”

The top brass of the Congress in Assam is worried about losing more party leaders to the BJP.

The Congress party in Assam has been in serious trouble since last year when some of its MLAs crossed over to the BJP, while a few others were suspended for anti-party activities.

The presidential election in July brought more woes for the Congress as it was alleged that many of the party members cast their votes in favour of NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu, who won.

The top brass warned of stern action against these ‘traitors’, yet even after three months the party has hardly taken any action.

The party leaders expected that the Assam version of the Bharat Jodo Yatra would enthuse the workers and rejuvenate the organization. However, it apparently failed to do so.

All this has made the BJP leaders happy, claiming that many Congressmen are lining up to join the BJP.

_IANS