Kokrajhar (Assam): Asserting that opposition unity is a "must stop BJP" post-election, Assam Trinamool Congress (TMC) president Ripun Bora said lack of joint opposition candidates in the state "will neither affect Lok Sabha poll results nor help BJP in any manner".
He claimed that though the opposition parties are contesting against each other in some seats in Lok Sabha elections Assam, it will not favor the BJP as the opposition, especially TMC, refrained from putting up candidates in constituencies where another party has a substantial base to take on the ruling regime.
"The BJP won't benefit from the opposition not fielding joint candidates in the state as we have approached it tactfully. In constituencies like Jorhat, Nagaon, Dhubri, and Karimganj, we didn't allow the opposition to get divided and are hoping that Congress pools all the votes from our camp," Bora said in an interview with PTI.
"Where we have seen that Congress is powerful and can take on BJP, we, especially TMC, have not let the votes be divided. But in seats where we have seen that the Congress cannot take on BJP, has weak organization, TMC is contesting," he added.
TMC has fielded candidates in four constituencies, including Kokrajhar and Barpeta where polls are due on May 7.
Bora, a former state Congress president who joined the TMC in 2022, claimed that the lack of joint opposition candidates will neither affect poll results much nor help the BJP in any manner.
"People have also understood that though the opposition may appear divided, we have fielded candidates tactfully. People will analyze themselves and vote for the most aggressive opposition in any given seat," he claimed.
A former state Cabinet minister and Rajya Sabha MP, Bora maintained that opposition parties have to come together in the post-election scenario.
"Post-election, opposition unity is a must. There is no other alternative. Only then we can stop the BJP," he said.
On prospects of TMC candidates in the four constituencies it is contesting in the state, Bora said the party has got a good and positive response from the people and is hopeful of a favorable result.
"What we have understood is that people don't have options and they don't want to vote for BJP. People want a strong, uncompromising opposition and for that, they are choosing TMC," the state party chief maintained.
He also claimed that the TMC will emerge as the alternative to BJP in the state and said, "Though TMC had its presence in the state for several years now, it started functioning here in a big way in April 2022. It is the beginning. TMC will be the main opposition in Assam soon."