Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) & BJP Alliance: Conrad Sangma Takes Initiative

GUWAHATI: Despite the fact, that the AGP recently snapped ties with the BJP over the Citizenship Bill, some sections of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and even the State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have reportedly evinced interest to go for a seat tie-up mechanism for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Assam. This is primarily to defeat the Congress during the Parliamentary elections. The political move has apparently gained momentum with Meghalaya Chief Minister and president of National People’s Party (NPP) Conrad Sangma meeting State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the issue.

Talking to media, Minister Sarma said, “We formed the government together in Assam. But we never expected that they (AGP) would resign from the Cabinet. Besides they fought the panchayat polls alone in the State. And, that too widened the distance between the two parties.”

On the present stand of the parties, Sarma added, “As of now, there is no active dialogue between the two parties on the issue. However some sections have shown interest in a political tie up between the AGP and the BJP. Even Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has also advocated for a poll understanding between the two parties when he met me yesterday.”

Further clarifying on the issue, he pointed out, “However, a decision in this regard will be taken by the Central leadership of BJP in consultation with the State BJP.I don’t have any authority to speak more on the subject. Nonetheless, our attitude is reflected in the comments made by our State president.”

BJP State president Ranjit Kumar Dass recently told the media that majority of the BJP workers do not want an alliance between the BJP and the AGP during the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. In fact the party’s executive meeting also endorsed this view. Accordingly, this stand of the State BJP on the poll alliance issue with AGP was also informed to the BJP national president, Amit Shah.

The three AGP Ministers including party president Atul Bora, Keshab Mahanta, and Phani Bhusan Choudhury, had tendered their resignation from the State Cabinet in the first week of January, 2019 over the adamant stand of the BJP in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019. The three AGP legislators were in the Opposition benches during the ongoing Assembly session. However, sources informed that till February 18, their papers were not accepted by the Chief Minister.

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