Guwahati, March 9: Prafulla Kumar Mahanta perhaps had the smoothest ride - from the All Assam Students' Union to AGP and subsequently became chief minister twice (1985 and 1996).
So did Bhrigu Kumar Phukan and some other AASU leaders, who became ministers under Mahanta following the Assam Agitation. Sarbananda Sonowal, who joined the AGP from AASU and switched over to BJP in 2011, too, did not have to struggle much to become a Union minister.
Student leaders who have decided to take the plunge into electoral politics and contest next month's Assembly elections, however, are facing a tough time getting party tickets. The list includes former AASU president Shankar Prasad Ray, All Koch Rajbongshi Students' Union (AKRSU) former president Biswajit Rai, former president of All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam (AASAA) Raphael Kujur, and some others.
Ray's shift from BJP to the ruling Congress yesterday - barely five months after he resigned from AASU and joined BJP, made his struggle for a ticket evident. "The BJP invited me and murdered me politically. I sought a ticket from Bongaigaon as people there want relief from AGP's Phani Bhushan Choudhury, who has represented them for three consecutive terms but failed to provide basic amenities. The BJP promised me they will not go for alliance with the AGP and give me the ticket. But they did not ask me while forging a pre-poll alliance with the AGP," Ray, who worked for AASU since his schooldays and served as its president from 2005 to September 2015, told The Telegraph today. Ray joined the Congress after an assurance of a ticket from Bongaigaon. The BJP has left the constituency to its ally AGP, who will field Choudhury.
"I joined the Congress as people in my constituency said they would be with me to defeat Choudhury for a change," Ray said. Rai, who resigned from AKRSU recently and was planning to contest from Bijni or Bongaigaon on a BJP ticket, joined the Congress yesterday seeking a ticket either from Bijni or Golokganj in lower Assam. Sources said Rai skipped Bongaigaon to accommodate Ray.
The student leaders who joined the Congress are likely to face ideological questions as they have always alleged that the party of harbouring illegal migrants for votes. "In fact, this will give me an opportunity to get into the system (government) and fight for the cause," Ray said.
"I will continue to fight for Scheduled Tribe status to Koch Rajbonghsis and a political discussion for a separate Kamtapur," Rai said.
Manoj Baruah, who was the AJYCP president from 2011 to June 2015 and subsequently joined the BJP, is weighing his options after the party gave the Patacharkuchi constituency to the AGP. He, however, today denied reports about his exit from the BJP for ticket. Dilip Patgiri, who was associated with AJYCP since 1978, resigned on Monday and will join the AGP. Patgiri, however, is unlikely to get a ticket, sources said.
Kujur and AASAA vice-president Rimiz Lindaare pitted against each other for a Congress ticket from Paneri in Upper Assam. "If I don't get the ticket, I will continue to serve in the Adivasi Development Council," Kujur said. The two Adivasi leaders, who joined Congress in September last year, were appointed chairman and vice-chairman of the new council last month.
Former AASU general secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi and former president of All Tai Ahom Students' Union Pranjal Rajkonwar, who joined BJP and Congress respectively, are the only exceptions. Sources said Rajkonwar is likely to get a Congress ticket from Sadiya after its MLA Bolin Chetia was expelled when he, along with eight other MLAs, switched to the BJP. Gogoi's ride is unlikely to be smooth since he was today named as the BJP candidate from Sonari against education minister Sarat Borkataky .
BPF boost: Over 100 BJP leaders and workers under the leadership of Bipin Chandra Brahma from Dotma under Kokrajhar West constituency joined the BPF today.
