Assam

Guwahati, Mar 20 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday released his party's election manifesto for Assam, making "five guarantees" that included Rs 2,000 per month for every housewife and law to nullify the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The Congress also promised to waive off farmers' agriculture debts and women's loans from micro-finance institutes, distribute kerosene and sugar through PDS, offer lunch at Rs 10 and price a quintal of rice at Rs 2,500.

Lahowal (Assam), Mar 19 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Friday assured that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will not be implemented in Assam if the party is voted to power in the state in the coming Assembly poll.

It will be ensured in the state assembly that the CAA is not implemented in Assam, Gandhi told students of Lahowal College in Dibrugarh district.

"In the other states, we will stop it (CAA implementation) after we (Congress) come to power at the national level," he said.

Guwahati, Mar 18 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is in Assam to canvas for Congress candidates, on Thursday likened the BJP regime with the British reign, and said the saffron camp has adopted "divisive and self-serving" policies, as did the colonial rulers.

Baghel, in a statement here, said the BJP was out to destroy peace and harmony in Assam.

Guwahati, Mar 17 (PTI) The Congress Wednesday expressed amazement and ridiculed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanat for his comment on 15th century Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva to draw attention to the problem of infiltration in Assam, for which he blamed the party.

Adityanath needs lessons in history as does Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had said that Lachit Barphukan was a freedom fighter when he was an Ahom general who fought the famous battle of Saraighat in 1671, Congress spokeperperson Bobeeta Sharma said.

Tinsukia, Mar 13 (PTI) A BJP booth committee president was stabbed to death in Assam's Tinsukia district by one person, who has already been arrested, police said on Saturday.

According to a senior police officer, the incident took place on Friday night at No 1 Doomdooma Nagaon village under Bordumsa police station of the district.

After a minor altercation, one Jay Chandra Gogoi several times stabbed BJP member Deba Gogoi, who died of the injury, police said.

The accused was later arrested and further investigation is on, he added.

Guwahati, Mar 10 (PTI) Two lawmakers of the ruling BJP in poll-bound Assam quit the party on Wednesday after they were denied tickets to contest in the coming state poll.

The two - former deputy speaker Dilip Kumar Paul and controversial MLA Shiladitya Dev in separate press conferences alleged conspiracies against them in the party.

On Sunday, BJP cabinet minister in Assam Sum Ronghang joined the opposition Congress after he was denied ticket from Diphu constituency.

Guwahati, Mar 9 (PTI) The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Tuesday said that it has joined the opposition Congress-led 'Grand Alliance' in Assam and will contest one seat during the first phase of the assembly election.

With this, the number of constituents in the Grand Alliance has gone up to eight.

RJD Assam president Shonarul Shah Mustafa told PTI that the party has formally joined the opposition grouping and it will contest the Tinsukia constituency which will go to polls during the first phase on March 27.

Guwahati, Mar 7 (PTI) Unhappy with the denial of party ticket for the assembly election in Assam, BJP minister Sum Ronghang on Sunday joined the opposition Congress which is likely to field him from the Diphu constituency held by him.

The hill areas development and mines and minerals minister joined the Congress in presence of AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh and the partys state unit chief Ripun Bora.

Guwahati, Mar 6 (PTI) Jailed activist Akhil Gogoi will contest the upcoming elections in Assam from Sibsagar as a candidate of his newly-floated Raijor Dal.

Announcing the list of 17 candidates that the party fielded in the first two phases, Raijor Dal working president Bhasco De Saikia said that Gogoi, the party's president, will contest from the Sibsagar constituency in Upper Assam.

Guwahati, Feb 24 (PTI) Carrying forward Rahul Gandhi's anti-CAA pitch, the Assam Congress members have collected over one lakh 'Gamochas' (scarf) with anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) messages so far for display at the 'Martyrs Memorial' which the party proposes to set up in Guwahati on coming to power.

Congres workers have collected the 'Gamochas' (traditional white and red woven cloth offered as an honour in Assam) as part of its door-to-door campaign.