Sonia Gandhi will visit Silchar on April 12

GUWAHATI, April 5: The Congress in Asom has been facing many odds right from the AGP and BJP coming together to the AUDF factor, and the latest odd being the 36-hour Karbi Anglong bandh called by the KLNLF from April 6 that led to the cancellation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s scheduled address of an election rally at Diphu on April 7. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), however, has not shown the KLNLF-sponsored bandh as the immediate reason for the cancellation of Singh’s scheduled poll rally at Diphu.

The KLNLF called the bandh in protest against the killing of its cadres by the security forces. KLNLF “commander-in-chief” Sanja Timung issued a “shoot-at-sight” order for defying the outfit’s bandh call.

According to Rajiv Bhavan sources, the Prime Minister will arrive in the State on April 7 and address an election rally at Dibrugarh in support of party candidate Pabon Singh Ghatowar. The party has not decided yet whether the Prime Minister will address any other election rally of the party during his Asom tour, though his Diphu tour stands cancelled. Official sources said unprecedented security arrangements have been made for the Prime Minister’s visit as the ULFA also has its “raising day” on April 7.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi will also visit the State for campaign for the first phase of polls. She will address an election rally at Silchar on April 12 in support of party candidate and Union Heavy Industries Minister Santosh Mohan Dev.

Meanwhile, AICC’s newly appointed Asom in-charge K Kesaba Rao arrived in Guwahati today and reviewed the poll preparations of the party at a meeting with the election committee of the APCC. He also held a meeting with APCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita and other senior leaders of the party. Rao will take part in an election rally of the party at Sapatgaon in Bilasipara tomorrow. He will also remain present at the April 7 election rally of the party at Dibrugarh to be addressed by the Prime Minister.

Intelligence reports indicated that the ULFA was planning to strike big during the same period. The Assam Police yesterday released photographs of two most wanted ULFA rebels who had sneaked into the state capital to carry out strikes during the ULFA’s raising day. THE SENTINEL