Politics / Assam

GUWAHATI, April 7: The Communist Party of India (CPI) is of the view that efforts should be made to avoid division of the anti-BJP votes in the State and called for an alliance of the left, democratic and secular political parties. Talking to The Assam Tribune here today, senior CPI leader, Promode Gogoi, who resigned from the AGP-led Ministry recently, said that efforts are on to form an alliance of the constituents of the Peoples' Front. He said that CPI Rajya Sabha member Drupad Borgohain yesterday had informal talks with the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Tarun Gogoi...

NEW DELHI, April 7: A cloud of uncertainty hung over the AGP-BJP alliance with the two parties locked in a standoff over the seat-sharing arrangement. the two sides were again expected to meet late in the night to break the impasse. The breakdown in the seat-sharing negotiations between the BJP and the AGP this afternoon posed a threat to the alliance, forcing the leadership of both the parties to intervene to save the situation. An uneasy calm prevailed in the BJP camp ever since it became clear that the AGP was willing to concede only 29 seats to the BJP way below their demand of 55 seats...

GUWAHATI, April 7: The president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Tarun Gogoi today said that chances of poll alliance with the CPI or the United Minority Front were very dim. He informed that although the CPI after snapping its ties with the AGP, had approached the Congress with a proposal for poll-pact, there was reservation among a larger section of Congressmen who were of the opinion that electoral understanding with the Left party at this moment would not be of much help for the Congress. Moreover, a tie-up with CPI would have to be approved by the AICC as the Congress is...

GUWAHATI, April 7: Timed to coincide with the 'foundation day' of the rebel United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), surrendered members of the organisation, under the umbrella of the Asom Jatiya Mahasabha (AJM), today celebrated the day as 'anti-insurgency' and 'progress-heralding' day all over the State. The surrendered ULFA (SULFA) members were one in asserting that only peace could bring about the much-needed economic development in Assam. Addressing a mammoth public meeting at the Chandmari ground here this afternoon, senior SULFA leader and member of the steering committee of the...

GUWAHATI, April 6: The minority organisations of the State will meet in a crucial meeting at the National Education Foundation, Bora Service here tomorrow to chalk out their action plan in relation to the coming Assembly election in the State. According to H R A Choudhury, chief convenor of the Co-ordination Committee of Minority' Organisations, Assam, the meeting will discuss three options of either going alone in the coming election by the minority' organisations, or entering into an understanding with either of the Congress or any other like-minded secular democratic parties. But, in case...

NEW DELHI, April 6: The dialogue between the AGP and the BJP continued for the second day today, with both sides claiming to have narrowed down their differences over the seat sharing arrangements. Amidst a feeling of bonhomie, the two sides here this evening, got down to the fourth round of negotiation to hammer out the crucial seat adjustment agreement. The third round that got under way last evening and continued till 4 in the morning today, saw the AGP and BJP negotiators adjusting bulk of the Assembly seats, leaving the only the contentious ones aside, according to a BJP source. If...

GUWAHATI, April 6: The Election Commission of India has given ad hoc recognition and allotted symbols to the two factions of the erstwhile Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) in order to enable the groups to participate in the forthcoming Assembly polls. Sources informed that the faction led by Holiram Terang as the president, has been given interim recognition as ASDC (United) and allotted the symbol of 'baby doll'. The other faction led by Chandra Kanta Terang as the president has been given interim recognition as ASDC (Progressive) and allotted the symbol of 'bucket'. Earlier, the...

GUWAHATI, April 5: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) politburo members, Prakash Karat today called upon all Left and secular parties to come together to fight Congress and BJP allies in the forthcoming Assembly polls. Addressing a press conference here this morning, the CPM leader while branding AGP-BJP tie-up a "desperately opportunistic" one said for his party, the four-party alliance in the State cease to exist the day AGP went the BJP way. Stating that the CPM will stick to its national agenda of fighting both the Congress and the BJP in all the five States going to polls on...

GUWAHATI, April 5: The process of seat sharing between the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is progressing well and it will be finalised within the next two to three days, said the AGP president, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Addressing a press conference here today, Mahanta however, refused to divulge the details of the process of seat sharing. He justified the AGP's decision to go for seat sharing with the BJP and said, "a friendly Government at the Centre is always beneficial for the State and we see nothing wrong in going for an alliance with the NDA." He...

NEW DELHI, April 5: The first day of negotiations between the AGP and the BJP took off on a promising note, with the two sides exploring the possibility of working out a compromise formula to resolve the vexed seat sharing problem. Emerging from the talks that got underway in the morning, the BJP general secretary in-charge for Northeast, Sunil Shastri, said the contentious issue of seat arrangement was expected to be clinched shortly. The BJP leader expected to seal the alliance by tomorrow. The only outcome of the first two rounds of confabulations was that the two sides agreed to reserve 18...