Discontent in Assam Congress As Youth Wing President Says Won’t Campaign in Guwahati Municipal Polls

With election to the 60-ward Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) due on April 22, Assam Youth Congress President Angkita Dutta is out of action as she is in Delhi, and has told News18 that she is unhappy with the functioning of the wing.

“No, I am not campaigning in the Guwahati Municipal elections and I have conveyed my decision to the PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) Chief. I am literally not happy with the functioning of the Youth Congress. I have not been allowed to work properly and I am not sure whether it’s because I am the woman president of the Youth Congress,” Angkita Dutta told News18 from Delhi.

Earlier, months before the assembly elections, there was buzz of Dutta joining the BJP. When asked if something similar would come up, the dynamic youth president of AYCC denied to the very idea. Dutta, however, said she is not contemplating anything of such as of now.

Eldest daughter of former Congress minister of Assam Ajan Dutta, Angkita completed her Bachelor of Arts from Daulat Ram College and thereafter she pursued LLB from the Faculty of Law, Delhi University. She also went on to do her Ph.D. in Human Rights from the Indian Institute of Human Rights in 2011. Her political career took off in 2016 when she contested her first-ever election from the Amguri seat in the Assam assembly elections. She failed to score her first victory losing against Prodip Hazarika from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). She also served as the Vice President of Assam Pradesh Youth Congress prior to her appointment as the President.

Held after nine-long years, the Guwahati Municipal elections will have 50% of the wards reserved for women candidates There will be 780 polling booths, where 7,97,807 voters will cast their votes. Among them, 3,97,128 are male, 4,00,654 are female and 26 belong to the third gender. The time of voting is from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm on April 22.

The GMC election was last held in 2013 in which Congress won 19 of the total 31 wards. BJP candidates bagged 11 wards, and one was won by the AGP. Congress has fielded 55 candidates where Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party shortlisted 40 contenders, seeking to expand its base in the northeast.

Meanwhile, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will take part in the three-day campaign in the capital city.

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