Pro-talks ULFA faction to stay away from polls

The pro-talks faction of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam led by its 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa has announced that the group will have nothing to do with the forthcoming assembly election in Assam.

Following a meeting of the group's leaders, a spokesman of the outfit informed that it was unanimously decided in the meeting, which was attended by all the top leaders of the pro-talks faction, that no leader or cadre of the outfit get involved with the forthcoming assembly election in the state and the message has been sent to all the members of the outfit through 'proper channels'.

It was for the first time that the pro-talks ULFA leaders met after their recent meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi for peace talks.

The formal announcement about 'no election involvement' came in the wake of Opposition political parties in Assam airing apprehension that the ruling Congress, which played a key role in bringing the ULFA faction to talks, will use the ULFA doves in the election for the benefit of Congress candidates.

The faction also called upon the anti-talks hardliners of the outfit led by fugitive 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua to stay away from poll

scene in Assam.

The anti-talks faction has issued a threat to carry out attacks on Congress leaders during polls and already triggered a blast at the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee headquarter at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati on March 14 last.

The anti-talks faction earlier called upon the pro-talks faction leader Rajkhowa to call of the 'so called peace talks' with the government of India and take charge of the 'ULFA revolution'.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has made it clear that the Congress is not going to make use of pro-talks ULFA cadres or leaders in election and pledged that the ULFA men in peace process would be lodged in specific shelters during polls as per the directive of the Election Commission.

Gogoi also said that the threat from the anti-talks faction of the ULFA would not affect the party's electioneering given the depleted strength of the faction after a majority of ULFA leaders and cadres joined the peace process.

Security sources on the other hand have words of caution for Congressmen given that the anti-talks faction led by Paresh Barua would be desperate to strike during polls to hog headlines as well as to belittle the on-going peace process with the pro-talks faction of the outfit led by Rajkhowa.