Guwahati, March 12 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday criticised Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi for travelling to Jharkhand to hold political discussions, asserting that Assam’s political affairs cannot be directed from outside the state.

Speaking to reporters here, Sarma said he had never seen any political leader from Assam travelling to Jharkhand to conduct political negotiations related to the state.

“I have never seen any political leader from Assam going to Jharkhand for discussions. Assam’s politics is not run from other states,” the Chief Minister said while reacting to reports about Gogoi’s meeting with Jharkhand leaders.

According to sources, Gogoi travelled from New Delhi to Ranchi on Thursday evening along with senior Congress leader Jitendra Singh.

The visit comes amid political developments involving regional parties ahead of the upcoming political contest in Assam.

The Congress leaders met Hemant Soren, who heads the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and requested the party to extend support to Congress in Assam instead of backing the regional Raijor Dal led by Akhil Gogoi.

The move comes after reports of growing contacts between Raijor Dal and leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

On March 6, a closed-door meeting was reportedly held at the residence of Akhil Gogoi in Guwahati. Two leaders from Jharkhand had attended the meeting: Jharkhand cabinet minister Chamra Linda and Vishwanath Tirkey, national general secretary of a tribal organisation.

Sources indicated that discussions during the meeting revolved around a possible alliance in Assam between Raijor Dal, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the newly formed Jai Bharat Party.

Adding to the speculation, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had earlier visited Assam and attended a meeting of the Jai Bharat Party earlier this week.

Sarma said these developments indicate growing political manoeuvring ahead of the upcoming electoral battles in Assam, adding that the people of the state would ultimately decide the direction of its politics.

Meanwhile, Gogoi’s visit to Ranchi is being seen as an attempt by the Congress leadership to ensure that JMM’s support in Assam goes to the Congress rather than regional parties like Raijor Dal.

–IANS

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