The Congress’ decision to nominate Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s son Gaurav to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls has been questioned by former President late Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed’s son Dr Parvez Ahmed. Ahmed has failed to get a nomination to contest the polls.
Peeved at the ‘cold’ attitude of Assam chief minister towards his aspiration to contest the polls from Assam on a Congress ticket, Ahmed on Tuesday raised questions about Guarav’s eligibility to contest from the Kaliabor constituency in Assam.
Ahmed said, “Gaurav is a nice young man. But he should have been allowed to wait for some more time to get seasoned before contesting the Lok Sabha polls. Apparently, the only criterion for his selection as a Congress poll nominee is that he is the son the chief minister. Otherwise, what is his credibility?” he asked. Ahmed was in Guwahati to meet the All India United Democratic Front president Badruddin Ajmal, triggering speculations that he may switch allegiance from the Congress to the AIUDF.
Ahmed’s meeting has led to peculations that the AIUDF may field him as a party candidate from either the Barpeta or the Kaliabar constituencies. “I am likely to take a decision to shift my party allegiance. The chief minister has ditched me after encouraging me to contest polls but backed out at the time of allotment of party nomination,” Ahmed said.
Meanwhile, two other Congress leaders and formers members of Parliament -- Mani Kumar Subba and Madhab Rajbongshi -- who have been denied ticket by the Congress are also in touch with the AIUDF. The AIUDF, which stated that it would contest from all the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, is yet to name its nominees for the polls.
