Threat to Alliance, Ranjit Kumar Das to Meet Amit Shah on December 13

GUWAHATI: All’s not well in the ruling coalition at Dispur! Two of the three coalition partners fishing in troubled waters in the run-up to the just-concluded panchayat poll may take their partnership as the toll. The situation has come to such a pass that the State BJP has already let party president Amit Shah know the outbursts of some AGP against BJP leaders of the State during the campaign for the rural poll. And now, state BJP president Ranjit Kumar Dass and general secretary (organization) Phani Sarma are going to meet Amit Shah on December 13 in New Delhi and raise the issue of alliance.

Talking to the media at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati on Monday, Dass said: “The BJP-AGP alliance became a reality in 2016 following a directive from the party high command. In the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, we came out winner with seven seats, without a tie-up with any party. Going by that, we were the leader in 69 Assembly segments in the State. Even after that, we had to tie up with the AGP following the directive from the party high command. Now also, it is the high command that will take the final decision – to or not to continue our alliance with the AGP.” Dass said: “Despite being part of the government at Dispur many AGP leaders went all out against Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the government from time to time. We’ve sent such audio-visual footages to Amit Shah. On December 13 the national office-bearers’ meeting of the BJP is going to be held in New Delhi. I’ll take up the issue with Shah there.”

When asked on the letter which the AGP has reportedly sent to Shah, Dass said: “I’m not aware of any such letter. I don’t think the AGP is going to tie up with the Congress. If that happens, we’ll be gainer.”

On the just-concluded panchayat poll, Dass said: “We’re going to win most of the ZPCs. The second phase of the panchayat poll is as good as the first phase for us. What’s significant is that the minorities have stepped out of the age-old aura serving as vote banks for the Congress and the AIUDF. This time around, they voted to the BJP as well. We’re going to celebrate Vijay Utsav (winning festival) at Naharkotia in Dibrugarh on December 14, and start preparations for the Lok Sabha poll from the very next day.”

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