‘Divisive and cohesive’ battle in 2014 elections: Tarun Gogoi

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi kept up his vitriolic attacks on his Gujarat counterpart and the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, and said the 2014 general election would be a fight between the divisive and cohesive forces.

“Earlier, elections were fought as the NDA and the UPA. Now Modi and the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have individualised the party,” he said on Monday. “In my long political career, we have fought elections on the basis of principles and ideologies but here is a scene where the BJP is being eclipsed by an individual.”

He said that Modi is the RSS’ man. “The RSS has taken control over the BJP. It is taking the political decision meant to be taken by the BJP. The decision to project Modi as the prime ministerial candidate is forced on the party by the RSS. We will counter the divisive Hindutava with secularism,” he said.