Mooshahary set to fight from Kokrajhar seat on TMC ticket

GUWAHATI: In a bid to give Hagrama Mohilary's Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF) a tough fight in Kokrajhar constituency in the coming Lok Sabha polls, All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) is all set to field former Meghalaya governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary for the seat.
At present, Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmuthiary of BPF represents the Kokrajhar constituency in the Lok Sabha.
Mooshahary, a native of Gossaigaon in Kokrajhar district and also former DGP of Kerala, is likely to start his campaign for the polls later this week.He joined Mamata Banerjee's brigade in Kolkata on Sunday.
"People are suffering due to frequent bandhs, extortion and the degrading law and order situation in most parts of Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts (BTAD). Various ethnic groups living in the area have lost faith in each other and are involved in confrontation on many occasions. Therefore, people wantchange and good governance desperately," Mooshahary said in a press conference.
The former Meghalaya governor, before joining Mamata's team, was in touch with several other political parties like AGP, BJP and AAP in the last six months. Mooshahary said he chose to join the AITMC after he was convinced that the party can bring the much needed changes in Assam.
"The Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal has succeeded to keep a check on inflation, while most of the other regions were suffering from major price hike problems. Moreover, the law and order situation and power supply in West Bengal have improved under Trinamool's reign. Therefore, if I come to power, I will try to replicate the West Bengal model in Assam too. The AITMC is always with the weaker sections of people," he added.
He said none of the political parties in the state and their ideologies have impressed him totally.
Endorsing Mooshahary's comment, AITMC Assam unit president Dipen Pathak and spokesperson Kailash Sarma said the party is going to be a deciding factor in the state's next assembly polls in 2016. AITMC is making a debut in the Lok Sabha polls here this year. The party has one MLA in Assam.
"The final candidates' list of the party for the general polls is likely to be announced on March 14," said Sarma. Though sources had said the party would field its candidates in 13 out of 14 seats, it may cut down the number to 9.