Ripun Bora dares Cpi leader to prove horse trading charges

Guwahati, Apr 21 (UNI) Asom minister of state for Rural Development and Panchayat Ripun Bora today flayed CPI leader Promode Gogoi's statement that the Congress will resort to buying legislators to form government in the state.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Bora took exception of Mr Gogoi's comment that the ruling party would engage in horse trading to attain the magic number of 64 to form the government.

The Asom assembly has 126 seats.

He challenged the CPI leader to prove his point and said, ''I challenge Mr Gogoi to state on what basis he had said that the congress will engage in horse trading.'' He dared Mr Gogoi to quit politics if he could not prove his allegations.

Mr Gogoi, in a press meet yesterday, had alleged that the Congress High Command would spend about Rs 50 crore to buy legislators after counting takes place on May 11.

The congress leader exuded confidence that the party would retain power and maintained that it believed in 'total parliamentary democracy'.

Mr Bora also dismissed claims of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) of forming the government as 'day dreaming' and 'building castles in the air'.

He maintained that under no circumstances the AGP would win more than 28 seats, it had 14 mlas in the last assembly, and the bjp eight to ten seats.

The minister played down the role of the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) and alleged that it was acting as an agent of the BJP.

UNI SG PC KLC1636