Guwahati: Seven Opposition parties including Congress in Assam on Wednesday decided to form an anti-BJP front for the Assembly elections expected to take place next year.

The parties in the proposed Opposition bloc are the Congress, the Raijor Dal, the Assam Jatiya Parishad, the Anchalik Gana Morcha, the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) and the All-Party Hill Leaders’ Conference.

The All India United Democratic Front, which had contested the 2021 polls in seat-sharing arrangements with the Congress, is not part of the bloc, as reported by Deccan Herald. However, sources quoted by the newspaper did not rule out the possibility of a post-poll alliance with Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF.

After a two-hour meeting of the eight-party alliance on Wednesday, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Gaurav Gogoi stated that the coalition had been formed to liberate the people of the state from the "corruption and oppression" of the current government.

"We all had an eagerness to contest the next Assembly elections together in order to free the people of Assam from the harassment, corruption and divisive politics of BJP and Himanta Biswa Sarma government. Today, we have taken that decision to unseat BJP,” DH quoted him as saying.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, downplayed the formation of the new bloc. “Such meetings of Opposition parties and subsequent quarrels among themselves are common. Now that elections are around the corner, we will see more such meetings,” The Hindu quoted the BJP leader as saying.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that BJP is likely to contest the polls in alliance with Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People's Front (BPF).

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Bagalkot: BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of making false promises to farmers affected by the raising of the Almatti dam height, and sought clarity on compensation and fund allocation, The New Indian Express reported.

Addressing media persons while campaigning for the bypolls in Bagalkot city, Vijayendra questioned the government’s announcement of convening a special cabinet session to address farmers’ issues.

“How much funds have actually been released? The government should explain the status of the Upper Krishna Project,” he said.

He further said that the government had, around four months ago, promised compensation of Rs 40 lakh per acre for irrigated land and Rs 30 lakh per acre for dry land to farmers likely to lose their land.

Vijayendra demanded that the government disclose how much of the promised compensation has been disbursed so far.