Insurgency is voters' main concern

Guwahati, May 3. The Indo-Bangla border skirmish in which 16 BSF jawans were killed and the Tehelka tapes may have captured the nation's interest, but for the electorate as well as political parties in Assam, it is insurgency that matters most.

The situation along the Indo-Bangladesh border with Assam made the headlines for nearly two weeks just as the election process began in the State, but no political party here made it an issue for the forthcoming May 10 Assembly polls.

All national and regional parties, including the Congress, AGP and the BJP, contesting the polls were unanimous in the condemnation of the killing of the jawans by the Bangladesh Rifles, but did not make it a subject in the polls saying that they ``did not want to politicise an issue which concerns the safety and security of the nation.''

``We want strict vigil on the borders and the safety of the people living along the villages on the Assam side, but as far as the coming polls are concerned the recent incidents on the border is a non-issue,'' says AGP president and Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

The prime topic is attacks by the ULFA who have created terror in the run-up to the polls which are ``desperate acts by the militants'' as the people are disillusioned by their acts and want peace, Mahanta said.

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : State Elections
Next     : All set for no-holds barred battle