In Assam, BJP attacks AGP as tie-up talks fail

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, February 8

Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Bijoya Chakraborty today launched an attack on the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) after the saffron party’s overture for a pre-poll alliance with the latter did not materialise.

Talking to the media here, Chakraborty, who was a comrade in arms with present senior AGP leaders during the Assam agitation against illegal Bangladeshi migrants during the early 1980s, today said the “AGP had lost regional character and the senior leaders of the party had become totally self-centered”.

She said the pre-poll alliance with the AGP could not materialise because of “adamant demand” for certain constituencies by a section of senior AGP leaders.

The AGP, for its part, said the party would keep equidistance from both BJP and Congress while trying to forge alliance with like-minded smaller regional political parties from different ethnic groups.

The BJP is going to announce its first list of poll candidates for the Assam polls by the end of this month, according to party’s state president and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. He said the party had constituted 26 election sub-committees so far and selection of candidates would be based on popularity and winnability of aspirants.