Within the backdrop of Congress leaders blaming “beef” for the celebration’s loss within the Samaguri Meeting bypoll, the Assam authorities on Wednesday banned its consumption in public locations. In an interview with The Indian Categorical, Deputy Chief of the Congress within the Lok Sabha and Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi displays on the state authorities’s determination, his celebration’s Meeting bypoll losses, Congress relations with constituents of the INDIA bloc and its technique in Parliament, amongst different points. Excerpts:
The Lok Sabha outcomes can’t be in comparison with state elections. Throughout the Lok Sabha polls, the folks needed to resolve in the event that they needed the BJP to cross 400 and provides extra energy to the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi). They have been apprehensive concerning the BJP’s and PM’s rising clout. Therefore, they gave that verdict (which lowered the BJP to 240 seats). Even as we speak if nationwide elections are held, they’ll ship out the identical message.
Then again, the state elections in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana have been fought on native and state points. We received two of the 4 states as a part of the INDIA bloc. Little question, the ends in Haryana and Maharashtra are a setback, however now we have no choice however to maneuver ahead.
For the reason that Meeting outcomes, a number of voices throughout the INDIA bloc have questioned the Congress’s declare to management of the Opposition. Do you assume cohesion might be a difficulty sooner or later?
See, elections are held in a really heated and aggressive setting the place even allies compete with one another. Therefore, there are certain to be statements. However have a look at Parliament, the place we’re passionately elevating folks’s points. There’s a sturdy sense of unity in a constructive setting. The persons are seeing that. Please take into account that the alliance received in Jharkhand, and Jammu and Kashmir.
However even in Parliament, some INDIA bloc companions aren’t on board about disruptions over the Gautam Adani concern. Do you assume that the Congress has pushed it an excessive amount of?
The Congress has been elevating all crucial points – Adani, Manipur, China, Bangladesh, Sambhal and air air pollution in Delhi-NCR – in Parliament. We had outlined these points in the course of the assembly of flooring leaders of INDIA bloc events. It’s a disservice to say that the Congress is speaking solely about one concern, particularly when it has seemingly put the federal government on the backfoot.
Some INDIA bloc members even have points with the brand new seating association within the Lok Sabha. The Samajwadi Get together (SP) has accused the Congress of not permitting good seats for its MPs. Ought to the Congress rethink its strategy in Parliament?
I feel the INDIA bloc has not been given its fair proportion in Parliament. Purely primarily based on numbers, the alliance ought to have been given the chairmanship of extra Home panels. Solely the numbers of the SP, Congress and DMK have been thought of whereas these of the smaller events have been ignored. We’ve got repeatedly fought and negotiated on the difficulty with the federal government.
Relating to seating, we have been informed within the Price range session that the INDIA bloc would get seven seats within the entrance row however two days earlier than the seating was introduced, it was lowered to 6. The federal government has been unfair to us in each side.
However some allies are blaming the Congress…
The Congress has been advocating committee chairmanship for all allies, together with these which have a single MP. We’ve got additionally spoken about them being given an honest period of time (to talk within the Home). We’ve got been preventing for INDIA bloc members and have accommodated them in seating preparations too. They’ll share their issues, if any, with us.
Talking of your house state Assam, the Congress drew a clean within the latest bypolls to 5 Meeting seats within the state, together with in its bastion of Samaguri. What do you assume have been the explanations?
Police equipment was misused in the course of the latest bypolls in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Assam to focus on Opposition MLAs. In Samaguri, the (former Congress) MLA’s automobiles have been vandalised by BJP supporters in entrance of the police. In Uttar Pradesh, police have been intimidating voters. They performed the position of celebration staff all over the place. Whereas this created an setting of worry, the Election Fee (EC) remained a mute spectator. The bypolls have been unfair and trampled on the elemental rights of individuals.
In Assam, the BJP centered a lot on Samaguri that their vote share in different seats lowered. They (the BJP) carried out worse on seats that they’d completed nicely in, in the course of the Lok Sabha polls solely six months in the past.
Forward of the bypolls, the Congress withdrew from the regional Opposition alliance, the Asom Sonmilito Morcha, in opposition to the needs of the state management. Do you assume it was a mistake?
Within the bypolls, whether or not the BJP or the Congress, we ended up contesting individually. The voters additionally perceive that events attempt to improve their presence in bypolls. With regard to Behali, the place our allies needed to contest, our vote share has elevated there. We’ll discuss to our allies and see how we are able to go ahead.
Following allegations from senior Congress leaders that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the BJP ‘supplied beef to pursue Bengali Muslim voters in Samaguri’, the Assam authorities has banned beef within the state. What’s your stand?
Sarma has bankrupted the state and therefore two huge selections – renaming huge cities and cities, and beef ban – which don’t require any cash, have been taken. There isn’t any cash to construct roads, faculties, bridges and hospitals. Will folks get jobs and salaries or will their well being enhance by doing all this? The folks of Assam perceive this.
After the folks of Jorhat defeated his politics, the folks of Jharkhand rejected Sarma’s politics. Now, the folks of India have learnt their lesson. The corrupt management of the CM, the misuse of energy and the focus of wealth within the fingers of his household and shut ministers haven’t gone unnoticed. This might be clear within the Meeting elections, that are only one yr away.
