Advani draws poor crowd

By Barun Das Gupta

GUWAHATI, APRIL 30. There was not much of a crowd when the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani addressed a rally at Sivasagar town in Upper Assam today.

Despite all efforts of the Government machinery to ensure a big gathering, hardly 2000 people came to listen to the Home Minister. The experience of Mr. Advani in and around Guwahati on Sunday was no different. There were about 2000 people at Sonapur. The crowd was less than a 1000 at Sualkuchi under the Jalukbari constituency of Guwahati.

At Sualkuchi, the Congress and the AGP-BJP alliance held two meetings. The venues were close and therefore the contrast was sharper.

Compared to the small turnout at Mr. Advani's meeting, the route to the Congress candidate, Mr. Himanta Biswa Sharma's meeting place was lined on either side by flag-waving supporters. The gathering at the meeting was also much larger. The BJP has put up its State vice-president, Mr. Ramen Deka, against Mr. Sharma.

The series of bomb and grenade attacks by suspected ULFA men on AGP offices in Barpeta, Nalbari and north Kamrup districts and at Dispur in the high security zone near the Chief Minister's official residence, have struck terror among the AGP workers. Several party workers, including the vice president of the Kalzar Anchalik unit in Nalbari, Mr. Bipin Barman, were killed and many injured. Among the latter is the AGP candidate for Barpeta, Mr. Kumar Dipak Das.

The AGp's poll campaign in lower Assam has practically come to a grinding halt as workers did not move out fearing attacks from the ULFA. Only the leaders provided with police security ventured out for holding group meetings. If this is the position in lower Assam, the situation is worse for the AGP in upper Assam where the Congress has an edge over all others because of its traditional vote bank - the tea tribes.

The emergence of the All Assam Tea Tribe Students' Association (AATSA) some time ago, had threatened to alienate the younger generation of the tea labourers from the Congress.

But by giving nomination to the AATTSA president, Mr. Simanchol Dighal, from the Koliabor constituency, the Congress has protected its flanks well in time. Mr. Dighal is pitted against the State Industries Minister, Mr. Gunin Hazarika of the AGP, who won in the last elections in 1996 by a margin of just 6865 votes.

'Cong. behind attacks'

PTI reports from Sibsagar:

Addressing an election meeting at Sibsagar, Mr. Advani accused the Congress of masterminding the recent attacks on AGP men with the help of ultras and said ``their aim is to terrorise the people, but I am sure they would be given a fitting reply.'' He urged the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, to make her stand clear on the alleged guarantee sought by the ULFA against the crackdown on its members if the party came to power.

The Home Minister said any party which helped terrorism acted against the future of a civil and healthy society and it was time political parties resisted it.He predicted that the AGP-BJP alliance would come to power in the State and provide a stable government.

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Section  : State Elections
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