The size of the Congress-led Mahajot (grand alliance) family in poll-bound Assam has increased to 10.
Two community-based parties — Jimochayan (Deori) People’s Party, or JDPP, and Adivasi National Party (ANP) — together claim to have influence in some 50 of the State’s 126 Assembly seats. They joined the Mahajot during the past 72 hours.
The JDPP represents the Deori community and the ANP the Adivasis, loosely referred to as “tea tribes” and “ex-tea tribes”.
The Mahajot had six parties when it was formally announced on January 19. These were the Congress, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the Communist Party of India, CPI (Marxist), the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) and the Anchalik Gana Morcha. Two others — former BJP ally the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal — joined later.
Neither the JDPP nor the ANP is contesting any seat but have joined the Mahajot on certain conditions.
“We want the Mahajot to support us in the next Deori Council polls,” JDPP leader Mohesh Deuri said.
Formed in 2015, the JDPP had won six seats in the Deori Council polls the following year.
ANP president Bijay Tiru said they were looking forward to the support of the Mahajot constituents in the next panchayat polls.
Three of the Mahajot constituents had won seats in the 2016 Assembly election. While the Congress won 26, the AIUDF bagged 13 and the BPF 12.
