Assam’s regional political party, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the BJP are going to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in Assam together even as there have been widespread protests by the BJP and the AGP workers across the State condemning the alliance, which was sealed in New Delhi on Wednesday.
AGP president, Atul Bora on Wednesday announced in New Delhi that the regional party will join hands with the saffron party ahead of the forthcoming polls after emerging out from a crucial meeting at the house of BJP national president Amit Shah.
The alliance between the AGP and BJP assumes significance as the Congress and AIUDF has formed an unofficial alliance in Assam ahead of the polls. This became evident after, AIUDF chief Moulana Badruddin Ajmal last month said that the party will contest only in 60 Assembly seats in Assam and will leave the rest 66 for the Congress to defeat the BJP.
“We have been discussing the matter of alliance with the BJP for a long time. Today we have decided that we are going to fight the forthcoming polls together with the BJP to keep the Congress and AIUDF away from power in Assam,” said AGP chief Atul Bora while adding that both the parties are yet to work out the seat sharing arrangements.
“We have discussed the matter in the floor of our party and after a series of detailed deliberations we have decided to join hands with the BJP for the sake of a change, which the people of Assam are craving for. The corrupt governance of the Congress Government in Assam since 2001 have frustrated the people of the State and everyone is craving for a change. As we on our own cannot bring the change, we have decided to join hands with the BJP,” said Bora while talking to The Pioneer over the phone.
The alliance between the AGP and BJP has invited wrath from grassroots workers of both the parties. While BJP workers in Sivsagar district in Upper Assam has vandalised the office of the saffron party in Sivsagar, AGP workers in different parts of the State have also condemned the party’s decision to forge an alliance with the saffron party.
On Monday, senior AGP leader and former Minister Durga Das Boro had joined the Congress opposing the probable alliance between the AGP and BJP. last month, hundreds of AGP workers in Assam have also staged a dharna in front of the AGP headquarters in Assam opposing the alliance and threatened to quit the party enmass if the party leadership decide to join the BJP.
The AGP and the BJP had earlier entered into alliance thrice in the past-in the assembly elections in 2001 and in the lok Sabha elections in 2004 and in 2009. While the alliance have benefitted the BJP, it did not help the regional party and the grassroots workers believe that the regional party can fare better if it goes to the polls alone.