Poll scenario

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The Election Commission has sounded the bugle heralding the 15th Lok Sabha poll and the political parties had started hectic political activities. The Congress leading the United Progressive Alliance had expressed that there would not be national level pre-poll alliance with other political parties but State level alliance could take place. Seat sharing arrangement with the Samajwadi Party was not encouraging for the Congress and the recent bond of friendship between Kalyan Singh who was responsible for the demolition of Babri Maslid and Mulayam Singh, a patron of the minorities in UP, had made the Congress fidgety. The BJP, whose aim was to -make L.K.Advani,- the next Prime Minister of the country was making all out efforts to rope in as many political parties as possible to cobble up a majority. The much talked about Third Front opposing the Congress and the BJP flaunted by the CPI (M) had not made much progress. The fight therefore would be limited to the Congress and the BJP with the BSP acting as a spoiler for both.The scenario in the State is getting murkier and murkier everyday. The BJP-AGP seat sharing arrangement was stalled due to tough stand taken by the AGP cadres refusing to yield the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat to the BJP. Besides the seat sharing arrangement agreed to by the AGP leaders before the unification with the break away groups did not have the support of these groups. The AUDF of Badruddin Azmal had formed a Third Front with the NCP, CPI and CPI (M) and announced its intention to contest all the 14 Lok Sabha seats. The Tea Tribes had also formed a separate political party which would be detrimental to the interest of the ruling Congress Party. The Congress appeared to be isolated and its alliance with the BPF of Hagrama Mohilary is also in danger after the unilateral declaration by the BPF to contest Lok Sabha seats.However, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi appeared confident- and announced that some young new faces would replace old MPs.The State government was already in election mode announcing launching of welfare schemes practically every day with much fan fare. The report card of the State government is impressive and the opposition parties had not placed before the public a better alternative. The coming days will witness lot of mud slinging but the voters would vote for peace, progress and development. source: assam tribune editorial 09.02.09