Assam Congress Gears Up for Bypolls Amidst CAA Opposition

Assam Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah announced the party's plan to contest all five upcoming Assembly bypolls. The Congress reaffirmed its opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), while the state government advised non-Muslim illegal immigrants to apply for citizenship under the controversial law.

Assam Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah announced on Tuesday that the party will contest all five Assembly seats in the upcoming bypolls. Borah reiterated the party's firm stance against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), even as the state government prompted non-Muslim illegal immigrants to apply for citizenship under the contentious legislation.

During a meeting led by AICC General Secretary Jitendra Singh with district-level party leaders, the Congress strategized on this matter during Singh's three-day visit. Borah revealed on X that senior leaders would be deployed to grassroots levels in preparation for the byelections. The Congress held only the Samaguri seat, while current vacancies include BJP and ally-held seats in Samaguri, Behali, Dholai, Sidli, and Bongaigaon.

The Congress, which contested previous elections as part of an opposition alliance, also resolved to activate its Disciplinary Action Committee for pending cases and maintained its opposition to the CAA. The state government's recent directive advised non-Muslim illegal immigrants who entered before 2015 to apply for citizenship, a move Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described as 'just a statutory order'.

(With inputs from agencies.)