In dramatic volte-face, AGP tilts towards BJP

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Feb 29: Days after its general house decided against going with the BJP in the assembly elections, the AGP on Sunday night took a sharp U-turn, deciding to cobble up an alliance with the saffron party to "prevent a split in the anti-Congress votes."

Intense drama was witnessed at the AGP's steering committee meeting that continued till late on Sunday night, which even saw its senior leader and former minister Durga Das Boro resigning from the party, uble to convince the leaders to join hands with the Congress. Boro today joined the Congress in presence of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and State Congress president Anjan Dutta.

AGP president Atul Bora, working president Keshav Mahanta, Birendra Prasad Baishya, Kamala Kalita, Pradeep Hazarika and Ramendra rayan Kalita flew to New Delhi this evening and are likely to hold their first round of talks over a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP leadership tonight itself.

Sources said soon after the AGP's general house decided against a tie-up with the BJP, the BJP's tiol president Amit Shah persolly wrote to the AGP president, stating his party's eagerness for an alliance to unite anti-Congress votes. Negotiations between the AGP and BJP were stuck in a deadlock over the seat sharing deal.

The AGP had initially sought 48 seats, a demand which the BJP was reluctant to meet. However, the BJP later sent feelers to the AGP indicating its willingness for "further talks."

Sources now indicate that the AGP is likely to settle for around 30 seats, including the ones which are with the party currently.