Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who had vacated the top post of the regional party about six months back due to health reasons, has now written to the party leadership seeking to reinstate him in the position.
“I am physically alright now and I can handle the position of party president. Give me the position of party president within 15 days from receiving this letter,” said the former two time Assam Chief Minister in a letter to present party president Atul Bora on Friday last.
Mahanta addressed Bora as working president of the party and said that he had sought the party to release him from the post in July last year on health and some personal reasons. “The general council meeting of the party had released me for six months and the six months have expired now and hence I should be given back the responsibility of party president,” said Mahanta.
“It is a democratic party and the party constitution must be followed,” he said. Mahanta’s resignation last year came after the party’s debacle in the lok Sabha polls, where the party had failed to secure even a single seat. The party had also fared poorly in municipal and panchayat polls across the State.
“I have received a letter from Mahanta. It is an internal matter of the party and the party will take a decision on this,” said present party president Atul Bora while admitting that he had received the letter of Mahanta.
“I am bound to abide by the decisions of the party. I am a disciplined member of the party and I shall abide by its decision,” Bora said.
However, a general council meeting of the party had on January 5 this year decided to extend the tenure of Bora till the next general meeting of the party and AGP general secretary Ramendra Narayan Kalita had informed this to the Election Commission of India. It may be mentioned here that infighting had severely hit the party, once the most powerful regional political party in the region. The party had run the Government twice in Dispur under the leadership of Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.
The infighting led to several leaders of the party to break away and formed new parties. However, after the party’s consequent debacle in two State elections —in 2001 and in 2006, some leaders have taken up steps and unified the party.