Gogoi confidents, terms AGP nervous

Guwahati, Mar 7 (UNI) Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today (Mar 7, 2006) exuded confidence that the ruling Congress will sweep next month's Assembly polls.

Talking to the media in the capacity of leader of Asom Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Mr Gogoi refused to accept that there was any anti-incumbency wave this time. ''Where is the anti-incumbency factor? Rather there has been growing attendance in all the public meetings addressed by me during the last couple of months. Such good turnout in ruling party meeting towards the fag end of the government is unprecedented,'' he observed.

''We are going to win about 80 out of 126 seats in the assembly polls. The opposition AGP knows and hence is showing its nerves by trying to forge alliance with the CPI, CPI(M) and Samajwadi Party.

The Congress will contest the polls on its own, barring a few seat adjustments with Bodo People's Political Front (BPPF) in Bodo areas,'' he said.

The Congress is going to base its selection of poll candidates on chances of winning while taking care that as many suitable women as possible are give poll tickets. The party will hold its first sitting on candidate selection for the first phase of polls on April 3.

On not being projected as the CM candidate by the party, Mr Gogoi said, ''my primary concern is that the party should come back to power. I am not hankering for chief ministership. I want to be a CM elected by party legislatures, not an imposed one,'' Mr Gogoi said.

He said the police firing and killing of eight civilian protestors at Kakopathar in Upper Assam on February 10 would not turn the tide against the ruling party. ''Kakopathar has calmed down. The people have now realized that they were instigated by vested interests to turn violent while protesting a death in Army custody.''

UNI