Assam: Raijor Dal names Akhil Gogoi as president, may field him from Sivasagar

GUWAHATI: Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi, who is in jail since December 2019, was appointed the president of Raijor Dal — the peasants’ organisation’s political wing — on Saturday.


The announcement came during the three-day state convention of the party which concluded on Saturday evening at Moran in

Upper Assam

’s Dibrugarh district. The regional outfit plans to field Akhil from Sivasagar constituency in the upcoming assembly polls.

Akhil was held under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and is in jail for over a year, after he was arrested while spearheading anti-CAA protests in Jorhat in December 2019.

Extending support to the jailed leader, chairman of the legal and human rights cell of the

All India Congress Committee

, Vivek Tankha, said the best lawyers will be helping out Akhil’s counsel when they move the Supreme Court to challenge the high court’s order. “We assure him of the best legal aid from our side. Either me, Kapil Sibal or P Chidambaram will be present for him at the Supreme Court if they seek our help,” Tankha added.

Meanwhile, the full-fledged committee of Raijor Dal nominated noted intellectual Hiren Gohain as the chief adviser and Udayaditya Bharali, Sitanath Lahkar, Indrani Dutta, Sanjay Kumar Tanti, Hafiz Rashid Choudhury and Ghanashyam Nath as its group of advisers. The three working presidents are former KMSS president Bhasco de Saikia, Kabindra Chetia Phukan and Jitul Deka.

In its resolutions, the party appealed to all

regional units

to unite against the “communal and fascist BJP”. “Raijor Dal has resolved to work together to dethrone BJP from power in the upcoming assembly polls, for the sake of Assam and Assamese society,” the resolution read.

Speaking on the occasion, Bhasco de Saikia said, “United regional forces will form the government in Assam this year. Our leader Akhil Gogoi may be in jail, but we will go ahead vigorously to achieve our goal. Under his leadership, we will be victorious in the polls and his release will be our prime election issue.”

Significantly, in the open meet of the convention on the last day Saturday, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) secretary Chittaranjan Basumatary shared the dais with Raijor Dal leaders.

Indicating an alliance between the two parties, Basumatary said, “We congratulate Raijor Dal. In 2021, the regional forces, when

united

, can defeat the BJP and Congress to form a government of regional parties.” Raijor Dal general secretary Kamal Kumar Medhi said the party has openly proposed to the AJP to form an alliance with them.