Assam Congress Prepares for Bypolls
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) is gearing up for the upcoming bypolls in the state. A meeting is scheduled for October 18 to decide how many seats the party will contest. The bypolls are set for November 13 in five assembly constituencies: Samaguri, Behali, Bongaigaon, Sidli, and Dholai.
Election Commission Announcement
The Election Commission of India has announced bypolls for 48 assembly constituencies across 15 states, including Assam. These states include Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
Congress Strategy Meeting
Jakir Hussain Sikdar, the Working President of APCC, stated that the party will also discuss potential alliances with other parties. The meeting will include AICC General Secretary Jitendra Singh, APCC president, MPs, and senior party leaders.
BJP’s Plan
Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita announced that BJP will contest three seats: Samaguri, Behali, and Dholai. Their ally, AGP, will contest Bongaigaon, and UPPL will contest Sidli. The meeting will also involve discussions with Assam in-charge Harish Dwivedi and other senior leaders.
Background
In the 2021 assembly polls, BJP won Behali and Dholai, AGP won Bongaigaon, UPPL won Sidli, and Congress won Samaguri. The seats became vacant after the MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha earlier this year.
Doubts Revealed
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) -: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) is a part of the Indian National Congress, a major political party in India. It operates in the state of Assam and is responsible for managing the party’s activities and elections in the region.
Bypolls -: Bypolls, or by-elections, are elections held to fill political offices that have become vacant between general elections. In this case, they are being held because some MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) were elected to the Lok Sabha, leaving their assembly seats empty.
Assembly constituencies -: Assembly constituencies are specific geographic areas within a state, each represented by an elected MLA in the state’s legislative assembly. In Assam, there are several such constituencies, and the bypolls are being held in five of them.
Election Commission -: The Election Commission is an independent authority in India responsible for administering elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and state legislatures, as well as the offices of the President and Vice President in the country. It ensures free and fair elections.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, which is one of the two major political parties in India. It is currently the ruling party at the national level and is known for its right-wing policies.
AGP -: AGP stands for Asom Gana Parishad, a regional political party in Assam. It often forms alliances with larger national parties like the BJP to contest elections.
UPPL -: UPPL stands for United People’s Party Liberal, a regional political party in Assam. It represents the interests of certain communities in the state and sometimes allies with other parties for elections.
Lok Sabha -: The Lok Sabha is the lower house of India’s Parliament. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by the public and represent various constituencies across the country. It plays a crucial role in making laws and policies.