Rural poll nearing; AGP, BJP distancing

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 8: The proof of the pudding, they rightly say, is in the eating. With the panchayat poll nearing, coalition partners at Dispur the AGP and the BJP are distancing from each other. The AIUDF, on the other hand, is also claiming to prove its strength by going solo in the rural poll.

Talking to newsmen in the city on Thursday, AGP MLA Ramendra rayan Kalita said: “It was State BJP president Ranjit Kumar Dass who first made the announcement of the party going solo in the panchayat poll. Since Dass made the BJP’s stand clear, we’re getting ready to go it alone in the rural poll. If the BJP fields candidates in all constituencies, we’ll have to follow suit. We also ruled two terms in the State. We’re strengthening our organization now.”

When asked if the AGP is going to field candidates in all the 14 constituencies in the Lok Sabha poll which is barely a year away, Kalita said: “It’s too early to say this right now since we’re in a coalition. However, if the situation demands, such a possibility cannot be ruled out.” With the Lok Sabha poll barely a year away, it is a matter of proving their strength for the BJP and the AGP, besides the Congress and the AIUDF in the State. The panchayat poll has much to do on the Lok Sabha polls.