WITH Lok Sabha polls round the corner, the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin is once again making headlines with the BJP leaders even declaring that children (Rahul and Priyanka) of foreign parentage cannot become the Prime Minister. The issue had also led to a split in NCP with former Speaker P A Sangma parting ways with Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar. Pawar has decided to ally to Sonia. 

The Assam Congress, like the Congress units in other states has launched a spirited defence of its President Sonia Gandhi and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has vowed to improve the party position in the region, and termed the BJP and NCP leader P A Sangma as ‘’spent forces’’. Mr Gogoi made a blistering attack on the BJP, saying the so-called feel-good factor was nothing, but a propaganda. Vowing to win more than ten seats, the Congress had got right now, of the total 14 in Assam, he in fact blamed his own party for not being able to carry out the propaganda to counter the NDA. “I am over-confident of getting more than ten because in six successive elections, we have done well vanquishing the regional forces as well as the BJP, ‘’ he said. Mr. Gogoi said, Mr. Sangma needed rehabilitation in some way as his own followers from his home district had been deserting him.

The Chief Minister averred that he would not ‘’allow both BJP and AGP to grow under his feet at any cost’’ and stated that Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin issue was absolutely a non-starter. “We will be concentrating on the winnability factor of a candidate so that we can win more than 12 seats of the total 14. ‘’We have doubts over the Kokrajhar seat only.’’ He indicated that some of the sitting MPs might be dropped. “Political equations of many constituencies like Dhubri and Barpeta have changed,’’ he added.

Presently, the Congress has 10 seats while the BJP has two, Bodos and CPI (ML) one seat each  The AGP was trying to shed the regional colour by joining hands with the BJP, he said, adding, “We will expose them.’’

The downsizing of the Assam ministry is not going to take place before the Lok Sabha Polls, he said, adding that performance of the ministers would be monitored and the downsizing would take place after the Parliamentary elections. Assam has 36 ministers, 17 more than the stipulated 19 ministers as per the new Anti-Defection Law. There had been a flurry of activities and the ministers were having sleepless nights, fearing of being dropped.

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