GUWAHATI, Jan 9 – In a significant development the Autonomous State Demand Committee Progressive (ASDC-P) today announced its decision to direct its two members in the newly elected Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) to vote for non-Congress and non-BJP candidates in the election to the Executive Committee (FC) on January 11 next, thereby serving a blow to Congress prospects. In a statement ASDC-P president Chandra Kanta Terang gave a clear indication that the party members in the KAAC will vote for candidates put by the ASDC-U (led by Holiram Terang) for the formalities of EC in the 26-member KAAC. The statement reasoned that in view of lack of sincerity on part of Congress and BJP to solve the autonomous state movement, the ASDC-P decided against these parties in the election of EC.
The ASDC-P decision has jeopardised the Congress calculation in the last moment. Till yesterday Congress was sure of forming the Executive Committee in the KAAC as the party won 13 out of the total 26 seats in the Council. Although Congress failed to score simple majority, it emerged as the single largest party. The ASDC-U won ten seats, ASDC-P won two seats an Independent candidate won one seat in the KAAC in the last Council. Of the 13 Congress MACs, George Milik, was elected chairman of the KAAC, who can vote in case of a tie only. Now with support from two ASDC-P members, the ASDC-U has been put on an advantageous position to form the Executive Council provided it could also muster support of the only Independent member of the Council, T Brahma.
The ASDC-P which is being guided from the background by CPI-ML stalwart and MP from Diphu Dr Jayanta Rongpi has played its trump card to have a stranglehold in the KAAC although it has only two members in the Council this time. The ASDC-P support to non-Congress, non-BJP candidates came with a rider that it would not take part in the Executive Committee, but only extend outside support which will be issue-based.