Seven legislators - four BJP, two All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and one AGP - had defied the party whip and voted for the Congress, ensuring victory of its candidates - Nazneen Faroque and Silivius Condpan - and leaving the Opposition dumbstruck.
30 -- All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Mobarak Ali Pathan on Monday alleged that the State Government had not paid even a paisa to the next of kin of those killed in the November 18, 2006 police firing at Moirabari.
Two other MLAs - Selimuddin Borbhuyan and Anwar Ali - belonging to perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) have also declared that they would not support Opposition candidate Baruah but instead vote for the Congress candidate.
Addressing a joint press conference here after the results of the election to the two RS seats of the State were made known, Leader of the Opposition Chandra Mohan Patowary, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leader HRA Choudhury, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mission Ranjan Das told the newspersons that the election to the two RS seats purged the Congress agents removed from the Opposition camp and strengthened its unity.
Two of the 'deserters' Anowarul Haque and Rashiul Haque (Bahadur), who belonged to the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the lone legislator of Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) Jagat Singh Engty and Asom Gana Parishad's (AGP's) Abdul Aziz also voted for the Congress nominee.
The memorandum was signed by the leaders of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) and the Gana Shakti and the State units of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Janata Dal-United (JD-U), Samata Party, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Bodoland People's Progressive Front (BPPF).
