Guwahati, March 11 (IANS) Raijor Dal president and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress, saying his party is prepared to take on the grand old party politically just as Iran has confronted the United States in global geopolitics.
Speaking to reporters here, Akhil Gogoi criticised Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi over the recent developments surrounding alliance talks between the Congress and Raijor Dal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Using a striking analogy, Akhil Gogoi said his party is fully prepared to politically confront the Congress if necessary. “As Iran attacked the United States, Raijor Dal is also ready to attack the Congress politically,” he said, indicating that his party will not hesitate to challenge the Congress in the electoral arena.
Akhil Gogoi also asserted that Raijor Dal will not enter the elections merely as a symbolic participant but with the intention to win seats and expand its political influence in Assam. “We are not entering the elections to lose. We are contesting to win,” he said.
The Raijor Dal leader further emphasised that his party will not compromise on what he described as its political self-respect. “There is the blood of self-respect in us. We will not compromise our dignity for the sake of any political arrangement,” Akhil Gogoi stated.
He also issued a pointed remark directed at Congress leaders, saying Raijor Dal should not be underestimated. “Do not consider us as a weak country like Iran in global politics. We are fully capable of fighting politically,” he added.
The Raijor Dal leader’s comments came hours after Gaurav Gogoi said that Congress had made sincere efforts to forge an electoral alliance with Akhil Gogoi ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, but discussions between the two sides could not lead to a favourable outcome.
In a post on social media, Gaurav Gogoi said the Congress had attempted to build a united opposition platform in line with the aspirations of the people of Assam, who wanted opposition forces to contest the elections together.
“Keeping in mind the wishes of the people of Assam, we wanted to form an alliance with Raijor Dal so that the opposition could contest the upcoming Assembly elections in a united manner,” he said.
The Congress leader, however, noted that despite several attempts and discussions, the two parties could not create what he described as a “conducive and hopeful environment” for an alliance
–IANS
tdr/uk
