Mahanta to contest from Dispur too

GUWAHATI, April 18: The president of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the Chief Minister will contest the ensuing Assembly poll from Dispur constituency too. Earlier, the party had announced that Mahanta is the party candidate from Barhampur legislative Assembly constituency. Today while releasing the second list of AGP nominees for 22 more Assembly seats, the party informed that Mahanta was also contesting from the prestigious Dispur constituency. Addressing a press conference at the AGP headquarter here this morning, the party spokesman, Birendra Kumar Baishya announced the names of party nominees for 22 seats. They are : Prafulla Kumar Mahanta (Dispur), Siva Singha Konwar (Thawra), Sarbananda Sonowal (Moran), Anup Phukon (Tingkhang), Abdul Aziz (Rupahi) Mujamil Hussain (Dhing), Kumar Dipak Das (Barpeta), Abhay Barman (Sarukhetri), Raham Ali (Baghbor), Majnur Ali (Chenga), Jahiruddin Khan (South Salmara), Md Sahabuddin (Jaleswar), Najrul Islam (Goalpara, West), Jogeswar Doley (Majuli), Probin Gogoi (Khumtai), Mohan Das (Patacharkuchi), Ali Akbor Miah (Bilasipara West) Gohin Das (Raha), Prafulla Goswami (Borchala), Mahendra Mohan Raichowdhury (Kalaigaon), Md Ajijur Rahman Talukdar (Karimganj, South). The party announced names of two candidates for Jonia constituency. They are Merry Rasul (first choice) and Newajul Haque. Out of these 22 constituencies, the AGP will have friendly contest with BJP at Raha and Borchala and with ABSU in Kalaigaon. All the three AGP nominees for these constituencies are sitting MLAs. The party is going to announce names of candidates for four more seats - Diphu, Lumding, Jonai and Batadrawa- within a couple of days. In Diphu the AGP is going to have friendly contest with its new found ally ASDC (U). The AGP leader Chandra Mohan Patowary today informed that with the inclusion of ASDC (U) in the AGP-led alliance, the number of its constituents was increased to four including the BJP and the ABSU. The AGP today stated that there was no confusion among the party leadership over 'friendly contest' in certain seats with the BJP. Baishya said, "The confusion was a creation of the media and it was non-existent in reality. The AGP-BJP alliance is all set to fight the poll jointly in the right spirit." The AGP leaders today tried to play down the dissidence and rebellion in the party over the alliance with the BJP and the party spokesman said that the action of a single MLA, Pradan Baruah who had joined Congress ranks, should not be taken as a reflection of any widespread rebellion within the party. The AGP vice-president, Biraj Sarma stated that Pradan Baruah was in fact expelled from the party for 'hobnobbing with the Congress.'