Guwahati:

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday announced that its MLA Manoranjan Talukdar will contest from the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat. In a shock to the Congress-led opposition alliance in Assam, the grand old party has already announced candidate for this seat.

CPI(M) Assam state secretary Suprakash Talukdar told a press conference that the party has decided to remove its senior leader and legislator Manoranjan Tha Manoranjan Talukdar was fielded from Barpeta seat.

The CPI(M) MLA currently represents the Sorbhog assembly constituency, which falls under the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat.

CPI(M) state secretary said: “In the larger interest of the people, we appeal to the Congress to withdraw its candidate from Barpeta. We appeal to everyone to vote for the most vehemently anti-BJP candidate and let him win. “

The Barpeta seat is currently represented by Congress MP Abdul Khaleque, who was denied a vote this time and Shenbayan will fight the polls in the linguistically and religiously sensitive constituency.

Mr. Bhajan is the Assam Congress president Seva Dal and a senior spokesperson of the APCC.

The CPI(M) is part of the United Opposition Forum of Assam (UOFA), a coalition of 16 political parties in the state under the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Asked why the Left party put forward a candidate a day after the Congress party announced its nominee, the state secretary said: “We had hinted to them long ago that we would elect from Barpeta. field a candidate, the CPI(M) has a strong base there.” For decades. But instead of listening to us, they moved on.

CPI(M) nominee Taluk Dal claimed that the Congress party’s decision to field a candidate in Barpeta will directly help the BJP-led ruling alliance.

“If the Congress is contesting 13 out of 14 seats in Assam, where is the unity of the opposition parties? They are not the only party. This cannot be a unilateral decision,” the veteran politician said.

Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi, on the other hand, justified fielding Bayan from Barpeta and said the party was confident of winning the seat.

“I have never seen Sevadar workers contest elections and win. But the Congress is the only party that recognizes the contribution of all stakeholders and promotes them,” he told reporters.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), another UOFA member, has announced its candidates for three seats in Assam. The Communist Party of India (CPI) has also said it is considering contesting several seats in the state.

On the ruling front, the BJP’s alliance partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has nominated senior leader, former minister and current Banggaigaon MP Phani Bhusan Choudhury Contesting Lok Sabha elections from Barpeta.

Out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, the Congress party has announced candidates for 12 seats. It has offered the Dibrugarh seat to alliance partner Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) but is yet to take any decision on the Lakhimpur constituency.

The BJP has nominated 11 Lok Sabha candidates from Assam. The remaining three seats are reserved for allies – two to the AGP and one to the United People’s Liberal Party (UPPL).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)