Assam 2021 assembly elections: Aasu and KMSS close in on plan to float political parties

GUWAHATI: All Assam Students’ Union (Aasu) and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) — two leading forces of the anti-CAA movement — have finalised their plans to float political parties to contest the 2021 assembly polls.
The Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM), headed by newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and several other noted personalities, are pushing hard to bridge the gap between the two powerful fronts with the common goal of dethroning BJP from power.
“It’s not merely a political force, as speculated earlier, but we have finalised to float a political party to contest the 2021 assembly elections. People of Assam will get a chance to vote for a party that will uphold regional issues without any compromise,” said Aasu general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi.
"The state executive meeting of the students’ body concluded at the Swahid Nyas Bhavan here on Friday and there were some positive discussions on the formation of the political party," Aasu insiders said, adding that a committee, comprising leading citizens, intellectuals and activists advocating regionalism, academics and people from the cultural fields, will be formed soon.
Selection of members of the committee will be done after consultation with other like-minded organisations such as the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad, 30 allied organisations and the cultural fraternity, an insider from the executive meeting, said. According to the insider, the political party would be formed keeping the “apolitical stand of Aasu” intact.
Gogoi told TOI that they were not forging any alliance with national political parties and “communal forces”.
The KMSS, on the other hand, is just waiting for the release of its leader Akhil Gogoi from jail before giving a final shape to the party. A seniormost KMSS leader confirmed that the peasants’ body will participate in electoral politics by floating a political party soon.
“Whatever may be the issues, but it is confirmed that we will have a political party. Soon after the release of Akhil Gogoi, KMSS will expedite the process. Back in 2015, we took a decision in favour of joining electoral politics,” he said.
A delegate meeting of the KMSS is likely to be held soon after the release of Akhil so that plans of floating the political party can be taken forward.
Meanwhile, AGM are pushing hard to bridge the gap between the two powerful fronts — headed by Aasu and KMSS. Bhuyan said the response from Aasu was lukewarm when AGM invited it for talks to forge a united front against BJP.
“Without a broad based unity, BJP cannot be defeated only by regional forces in Assam. A tactical question on forging alliance will definitely come up before the election. We want Aasu to have deliberations with the groups which are fighting with a common goal. But unfortunately their position remains unclear,” Bhuyan said.
AGM coordinator and lawyer Shantanu Barthakur said they were trying to unite regional and Left parties. “We held discussions with KMSS on taking on BJP in the 2021 assembly elections and their response was positive,” he said.