"Favour of alliance, hold formal discussions": Gaurav Gogoi on alliance talks with Raijor Dal ahead of polls

Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 25 (ANI): Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday said that he is in favour of a potential alliance with Raijor Dal, adding that discussions with the party are ongoing ahead of the upcoming assembly elections later this year.
Reacting to the issue of a possible alliance with Raijor Dal, Gogoi said it is true that talks with some parties have nearly been concluded and only formal announcements to the public remain. While discussions with several parties have been completed, talks with Raijor Dal are still incomplete.
As per the state Congress Committee release, during his recent visit to Delhi, the central leadership sought certain details from the state unit regarding the alliance. He said the central leadership will provide guidance and advice in the coming days. Reports of completed discussions with other parties will be submitted to the central leadership.
He reiterated that the incomplete status of talks with Raijor Dal has already been communicated to the high command.
Mentioning that Akhil Gogoi has been speaking to the media, Gaurav Gogoi said, "We do not have such a practice. That is not our tradition. We hold formal discussions and maintain confidentiality before making any statements. Even now, I have not disclosed which parties we have finalised discussions with. That is our party's tradition. We are not accustomed to speaking publicly in that manner."
Further, speaking to the induction of a suspended Congress MLA into Raijor Dal, the APCC president said that Raijor Dal has taken in an MLA who was suspended by the Congress party. According to media reports, the MLA has also been given a ticket.
He further alleged that another MLA, against whom there had been significant internal discussion and allegations within Congress, has also been inducted and may be fielded as a candidate. He said such developments have been observed for some time and hinted at ongoing internal discussions within the party.
Reiterating his positive stand on the alliance, Gogoi said, "An alliance is good. However, compared to earlier, my level of optimism has somewhat reduced. Nevertheless, I will try to convince my colleagues, senior leaders, workers and the central leadership why unity would be beneficial. Since the alliance has not yet been finalised, my optimism today is not the same as before."
Meanwhile, responding to remarks made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding his appointment as Chairperson of the India-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship Group, Gogoi questioned the relevance of the Chief Minister's comments.
He stated that the letter appointing him was issued by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and not written by him. "A group has been constituted with members and a chairperson. I was formally informed of the responsibility through an official letter. Everyone has seen the letter issued by the Lok Sabha Speaker," he said in the release.
At this moment, he expressed gratitude to the people of Jorhat constituency and the people of Assam, particularly the voters of Jorhat, for their support and blessings in the recent Lok Sabha elections, which he said enabled him to reach this position.
Responding to criticism that he should have been given responsibility related to Pakistan, Gogoi said that the responsibility was assigned by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
"What role does the Chief Minister have in this matter? What is the value of his remarks?" he asked. He added that once the Speaker of the Lok Sabha has assigned a responsibility within the House, he does not understand the relevance of comments made by the Chief Minister. (ANI)