Congress leaders from Assam, Puducherry meet Rahul Gandhi

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is completing his third consecutive term as Assam Chief Minister, met Rahul Gandhi along with PCC Chief Anjan Datta and AICC General Secretary C P Joshi.

While the party's central leaders described the meeting as merely "ongoing consultations", Gogoi is already on record saying that the party wants to go it alone in the north-eastern state. There had been a speculation regarding a possible alliance between Congress, Badruddin Ajmal's AIDUF and Asom Gana Parishad.

In a separate meeting, senior leaders of Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) also apprised the Congress Vice President about the current political developments in the union territory.

AICC general secretary and former Union Minister of State V.Narayanasamy, Leader of Opposition V.Vaithilingam and PPCC president A.Namassivayam met Gandhi.

Yesterday, Gandhi had held deliberations with Congress leaders from Tamil Nadu on the strategy to be adopted in the poll-bound state where the issue of forging an alliance holds the key to prospects of the party.

A section in the party believes that the high command would opt for an alliance with DMK and other like-minded parties like DMDK in the state ruled by AIADMK.

Only last month, DMK chief M Karunanidhi had said that Congress would be invited to join the alliance led by his outfit for coming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

Karunanidhi's statement had come nearly three years after snapping ties with Congress.

Congress is out of power in Tamil Nadu for nearly five decades and has generally been aligning with either of the Dravidian parties- DMK or AIADMK. Sometimes, it had contested alone too but without much success.

Reports had it that some leaders from Tamil Nadu had utilised the opportunity to press for their demand for removal of PCC Chief E V K S Elangovan.

AICC has given signals that the decision on the issue of alliances would be taken keeping in mind the aim of checking ruling BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the view of the state units on tieups in their areas.