Lack of tie-up with Left may split secular votes: Gogoi

Guwahati: Fighting perhaps the toughest electoral battle in his life, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi apprehends division of secular votes in the absence of an understanding with parties like the Left, with whom he is not averse to having a post-poll tie up. However, he ruled out any post-poll tie up with AIUDF, led by Badruddin Ajmal, the face of Bengali Muslims, who has been gaining in strength after every election.
The 79-year-old Congress veteran feels his party and the Left should have formed an alliance before the polls to defeat the BJP.
"Their (Left) ideology and ours is identical. They did not come to us. We did not go to them. The tie up was possible, but somehow it did not happen," said Gogoi.
Congress has entered a pre-poll alliance with United People's Party (UPP) for four constituencies in Bodoland Territorial Area Districts, while six Left parties - CPM, CPI, CPI-ML(L), RSP, RCPI and Forward Bloc - are fighting together in 59 seats across Assam.
Asked about his options in case of a hung verdict, Gogoi said, "We will analyze the post-poll scenario after the results are out. Should the situation arise, I would prefer the support of the Independents."
Asked specifically if he will be comfortable taking support from the Left parties, Gogoi replied in the affirmative. The chief minister, however, regretted the Left is targeting both BJP and Congress in its appeal to voters. Gogoi ruled out the possibility of an alliance with AIUDF or Hagrama Mohilary's BPF after the results are out. There is speculation that Mohilary may tie up with Congress post-poll in case of a hung verdict. Congress fought the 2011 polls with BPF, which now has tied up with BJP due to lack of a formal undertaking by the UPA government on the Rs 1,000 crore aid to the Bodoland Territorial Council. BJP has now formed an alliance with AGP and BPF, and is hoping to wrest power for the first time in Assam. AGENCIES