Congress, Raijor Dal finalise alliance; state party gets 11 seats
_vb_28.jpeg)
Guwahati (PTI): After days of negotiation and uncertainty, the Congress and Raijor Dal finalised seat-sharing arrangements for the Assam assembly polls, and decided that the national party will leave 11 constituencies for the other one, and there will be a friendly contest in two. In a late-night development on Thursday at Jorhat, leaders of the two parties, headed by state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi, signed the agreement.
Akhil Gogoi will contest from Sivasagar, a seat he won in the last polls while still in prison on sedition charges for allegedly instigating violence during the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.
The Congress had given the Margherita seat to the Raijor Dal. Earlier, the national party had given it to Prateek Bordoloi, who decided not to contest on a Congress ticket after his father defected to the BJP earlier this week.
The other seats to be contested by Raijor Dal are Dalgaon, Dhing, Sissiborgaon, Digboi, Bokakhat, Manas, Tezpur and Kaliabor, while friendly contests will take place between the two parties in Goalpara (East) and Gauripur.
The party has nominated a woman candidate, Gyanashree Bora, from the Mariani constituency.
The opposition alliance now comprises six parties -- Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI(M), All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) and the CPI(ML).
The Congress has announced its complete list of 87 seats, the AJP in 10 seats while the CPI(M) and APHLC will contest in two seats each.
Gaurav Gogoi thanked the Raijor Dal president, his team, and everyone who worked to ensure the alliance took place.
"It is not easy for a party like Congress to give up seats, but the national leadership agreed in the interest of the state and its future," the Congress state chief said.
''After assessing the ground realities and being satisfied with our answers to the queries raised by the high command, it was agreed that the alliance takes place,” he added.
Gaurav Gogoi said that several sections of the society, particularly some renowned civil society leaders, played a prominent role in ensuring the alliance takes place in the interest of the state and its people.
He appealed to all to work for the win of all candidates put up by the alliance's six parties.
"We have many dreams and aims to create a new Assam where the development of all and not just one person and his family, is ensured," Gogoi said.
People of Assam want to be free of Himanta Biswa Sarma's ''low level of politics'' where he uses fear and threats to intimidate people so he can remain in power, he claimed.
The Raijor Dal president said that they decided to contest the elections unitedly to oust the BJP government, led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, and make Gaurav Gogoi the chief minister.
''People of Assam are dissatisfied with the BJP-RSS as they have changed the social fabric of the state, and there is a need to overthrow Sarma's undemocratic, corrupt and communal government,'' he said.
Akhil Gogoi urged the Jorhat electorate to vote for the Congress president, stating they have a ''historic opportunity to elect the state's future CM and help build a new Assam.
"Jorhat will get a CM, and the entire state will get a youth leader who has made a mark on the national arena," he said.
Raijor Dal is contesting only 13 seats in the interest of the people and the future of the state to ensure that the BJP is defeated, he said.
Akhil also apologised to those from the party who could not get a ticket.
The elections to the 126-member Assam assembly will be held on April 9. Votes will be counted on May 4.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
VP, PM greet civil servants on Civil Services Day
New Delhi (PTI): Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday greeted civil servants on the occasion of Civil Services Day and said it is time to further strengthen the resolve to work towards good governance and nation building.
The Vice President said as the enduring pillar of India's administrative framework, the efforts of the civil servants in strengthening governance and delivering public services are of immense significance.
The prime minister said from the grassroots to policy-making, the efforts of civil servants touch countless lives and contribute to India's progress
"On the occasion of Civil Services Day, I extend my warm greetings to all civil servants and convey my sincere appreciation for your dedication and exemplary service to the nation," Radhakrishnan said in a post on X.
ALSO READ: 5.2-magnitude quake jolts Manipur
He said the theme for this year, "Viksit Bharat: Citizen-Centric Governance and Development at the Last Mile", aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and underscores the Government's commitment to transparent, accountable, and citizen-centric governance, with a strong emphasis on last-mile delivery and inclusive development.
"Let us all celebrate the day and continue to work collectively towards building an inclusive and developed India," he said.
The Vice President will deliver the keynote address at the Civil Services Day celebrations at Vigyan Bhawan here on Tuesday.
In his message, Modi greeted all civil servants on Civil Services Day and said this is an occasion to further strengthen the resolve to work towards good governance and nation building.
"May our civil servants continue to serve with excellence, compassion and innovation, upholding the highest standards of duty," he said.
The prime minister said service to the nation is the foundation of a 'Developed India'.
"On the glorious occasion of Civil Services Day, let us reaffirm our resolve to build a strong, prosperous, and sensitive India by bringing the person standing at the last line into the mainstream of development," he said.
The central government celebrates April 21 every year as 'Civil Services day' as an occasion for civil servants to rededicate themselves to the cause of citizen and renew their commitments to public service and excellence in work.
This date is chosen to commemorate the day when the first Home Minister of Independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, addressed the probationers of Administrative Services Officers in 1947 in Delhi, and referred to civil servants as the 'steel frame of India'.
