Bharitya Janata Party (BJP) Morigaon LAC district workers vandalize BJP state office in Guwahati on Saturday, March 05, 2011 regarding the nomination of Prahal Bhuyan as the party candidate from Morigaon LAC. (Ujjal Deb Photo)
Guwahati, March 5 (NNN): After its offer for a grand alliance of the opposition parties in Assam flopped, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) now appears to have struck a ‘secret deal’ with the BJP to prevent a hat-trick of
wins for the ruling Congress. Both AGP and BJP have claimed to be maintaining a distance from each other. But the choice of their candidates for the April 4 and 11 polls apparently suggests otherwise.
Supporters had put the AGP leadership under pressure, reminding them that the alliance with BJP had cost the party in the last Lok Sabha polls. While the AGP won only one seat, the BJP won 4 seats out of a maximum 14. The AGP leadership subsequently severed its electoral ties with the BJP last year. But it had last month called for a grand alliance of the opposition parties for achieving the common goal of ousting the Congress. The offer found no takers with minority based All India United Democratic Front and the Left parties asserting that they would not endorse any alliance that would have the BJP as a component. Left with no options, the AGP and BJP have reported struck a secret deal, agreeing to field weak and unknown candidates in each other’s strongholds. Dubbed as ‘fixing’, the came to light after the BJP
declared the first list of candidates in New Delhi on Thursday.
According to this list, the BJP candidate in Sootea assembly segment is Mintu Khan, an unknown face. Sootea is where AGP strongman Padma Hazarika’s domain. “I have been associated with the BJP for the past 25 years but I have neither seen nor heard of this Khan,” said Rana Bhuyan, a local BJP leader. “Our leaders can’t force down a candidate on us. Many deserving candidates have been ignored,” he added. Similarly, the BJP has put up a relatively new face, Ranjit Rahang, in Dispur constituency so that the AGP’s Atul Bora (senior) can allegedly sail through. This has ruffled the feathers of ticket contender and senior leader Charan Deka so much that he has decided to quit the party. Deka’s supporters in the Dispur constituency – it is held by the Congress’ Akon Bora, a minister – as well as from adjoining Morigaon district vandalized the BJP state unit headquarters on Saturday to register their anger.
But leaders of both AGP and BJP have rubbished reports about secret deal. “The reports are baseless. We haven’t entered into any understanding,” said BJP Assam unit president Ranjit Dutta. “These are all cooked up stories,” said AGP spokesman Atul Bora (junior) said.
wins for the ruling Congress. Both AGP and BJP have claimed to be maintaining a distance from each other. But the choice of their candidates for the April 4 and 11 polls apparently suggests otherwise.
Supporters had put the AGP leadership under pressure, reminding them that the alliance with BJP had cost the party in the last Lok Sabha polls. While the AGP won only one seat, the BJP won 4 seats out of a maximum 14. The AGP leadership subsequently severed its electoral ties with the BJP last year. But it had last month called for a grand alliance of the opposition parties for achieving the common goal of ousting the Congress. The offer found no takers with minority based All India United Democratic Front and the Left parties asserting that they would not endorse any alliance that would have the BJP as a component. Left with no options, the AGP and BJP have reported struck a secret deal, agreeing to field weak and unknown candidates in each other’s strongholds. Dubbed as ‘fixing’, the came to light after the BJP
declared the first list of candidates in New Delhi on Thursday.
According to this list, the BJP candidate in Sootea assembly segment is Mintu Khan, an unknown face. Sootea is where AGP strongman Padma Hazarika’s domain. “I have been associated with the BJP for the past 25 years but I have neither seen nor heard of this Khan,” said Rana Bhuyan, a local BJP leader. “Our leaders can’t force down a candidate on us. Many deserving candidates have been ignored,” he added. Similarly, the BJP has put up a relatively new face, Ranjit Rahang, in Dispur constituency so that the AGP’s Atul Bora (senior) can allegedly sail through. This has ruffled the feathers of ticket contender and senior leader Charan Deka so much that he has decided to quit the party. Deka’s supporters in the Dispur constituency – it is held by the Congress’ Akon Bora, a minister – as well as from adjoining Morigaon district vandalized the BJP state unit headquarters on Saturday to register their anger.
But leaders of both AGP and BJP have rubbished reports about secret deal. “The reports are baseless. We haven’t entered into any understanding,” said BJP Assam unit president Ranjit Dutta. “These are all cooked up stories,” said AGP spokesman Atul Bora (junior) said.
