Politics / Assam

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...

NEW DELHI, April 18: The BJP today announced its candidates for 42 seats out of its share of 44 seats, fielding candidates in all the 10 seats earmarked for friendly contest with the ruling AGP. The list of candidates, however, held no major surprises and the party has nominated all its five sitting MLAs. Prominent among those fielded by BJP included reputed foot ball player Rebati Phukan, who will contest from Lahowal LAC. Others included former Janata Dal president, Dulal Baruah being fielded from Teok LAC, where he will be pitted in a friendly contest with APG's Renupama Rajkhowa. The BJP...

GUWAHATI, April 18: Kamalesh Goswami, a manger with NIIT Asia Pacific, stays in distant Australia. He could not make it to Assam during the Bihu celebrations last weekend. Unlike the previous years, however, Goswami was able to watch the Bihu celebrations here while sitting in his North Sydney home. Kumud Borah, who describes himself as "a die-hard Assamese now staying outside my beloved motherland", was also able to participate in the Bihu celebrations, albeit not in person. There are thousands of Assamese, like Goswami and Borah, who were able to be a part of the Bihu celebrations, despite...

SHILLONG, April 18: Meghalaya Chief Minister EK Mawlong today said Pyrdiwah village in East Khasi Hills district bordering Bangladesh was still under the occupation of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) since Monday, reports PTI. "Bangladesh Rifles is still continuing to occupy Pyrdiwah village since Monday," Mawlong told PTI here. Mawlong said he had informed LK Advani about the incident and the Union Home Minister had asked him "to send all the details." After a meeting with Cabinet members and high police officials, the Chief Minister said a fax was sent yesterday urging him to 'take proper steps in...

NEW DELHI, April 18: Sixteen Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were today killed when Bangladeshi troops ope-ned fire and resorted to shelling in the border village of Boraibari in Meghalaya, Home Secretary Kamal Pandey, said, reports PTI. The Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) have been resorting to shelling on BSF posts as well as civilian areas, he told media persons quoting reports reaching here from BSF border camp. An international news agency quoting BDR chief Major General Fazlur Rahman reported from Dhaka earlier that one Bangladesh soldier was also killed and several...

GUWAHATI, April 18: Tension prevails in the Mankachar sub-division of Dhubri district following heavy exchange of fire between Bangladesh Rifles and Border Security Force personnel for more than eleven hours, in which at least 10 civilians were injured. Official sources said that the Bangladesh Rifles personnel started unprovoked firing at the Kakripara border outpost in Mankachar sub-division at around 4 am this morning, following which, the BSF personal also returned the fire. Sources said that according to information available here, the Bangladesh Rifles personnel even used mortars and one...

GUWAHATI, April 17: Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has seemed to have matured, claimed his fans. However, going by his latest political somersault, his critics claimed that Mahanta has matured as a tricky politician being adept in the skill now to swing along from old 'friends' to newly discovered 'friends'. For him, the critics said, political expediency is above morality now and he has mastered the use of craft and deceit to maintain his authority and carry out his 'policies'. But still, argue some quarters, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and for that matter his party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), is far behind...

GUWAHATI, April 17: State committees of the CPI, CPM and the Samajwadi Party (SP) today came to an understanding to put up a joint fight against both the Congress and the AGP-BJP combine in the ensuing election to the State Assembly. The three parties which are partners in the national-level People's Front, came to this conclusion of a meeting held at the Rajgarh State headquarters of the CPI here. They also arrived at a decision to 'co-ordinate' with other left, democratic and secular parties of the State like the RSP, Liberation group of the CPI (ML), the PDF and the ASDC (Progressive - led...

GUWAHATI, April 17: The newly-formed Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) consisting of nine political parties today announced its first list of 89 candidates allotted to its constituent parties. Decision was take after a day-long discussion among the alliance parties at the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) office here. The RDA working president Bolin Kuli informed that the alliance would put up candidates in 105 seats out of the total 126 seats. The remaining seats to be contested will be announced on April 20. Out of the list of 89 constituencies announced today, Nationalist Congress Party...

GUWAHATI, April 17: The Assam Bharatiya Janata Party, (ABJP) the breakaway dissident group of the BJP, today announced the first list of 13 candidates for the forthcoming May 10 Assembly polls in the State, reports PTI. The ABJP leader Hiranya Bhattacharya, said that the party would contest 60 seats out of a total 126 and the final list will be ready in a few days. The ABJP was formed last week following resentment in the BJP regarding the alliance with the ruling AGP for the elections. Bhattacharya said that the grassroot level workers were unhappy with the AGP-BJP alliance and in keeping...