Seat-sharing issue with AGP resolved; BJP to contest in 44 constituencies

NEW DELHI, April 9: The ruling Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today sealed the electoral pact to fight the forthcoming Assembly polls. Under the agreement the AGP and its allies would field candidates in 92 seats, and the BJP in 44 constituencies. The significant aspect of the deal is that both the parties would have friendly contests in 10 LACs, where they reserved the right to field their own candidates. The constituencies predictably are those contentious ones on which the two parties failed to come to an agreement. The seat sharing arrangement in effect means that the BJP would field candidates all by itself only in 34 seats, while in 10 others, it would have a friendly contest. Similarly AGP would contest in 82 seats and in 10 others it would do likewise as BJP. The seats where the two parties would have a friendly contest includes; Guwahati (West), Lumding, Jonai, Palasbari, Hajo, Raha, Naoboicha, Teok, Borshola and Battadava. In addition, the AGP has sacrificed the Jalukbari and Borkhetri seats being held by its rebel MLAs, Bhrigu Kumar Phukan and Pulakesh Baruah respectively. It did not, however part with the Dispur seat being held by Atul Bora, as Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is likely to contest from the seat, a senior leader of the AGP disclosed. The arrangement, needless to say, left the State unit president, Rajen Gohain and his supporters sulking. Sources close to Gohain said he had protested vehemently the seat sharing arrangement, before the Union Home Minister LK Advani as all the seats allotted to it were 'difficult' constituencies. The Union Home Minister had early in the afternoon called all the State unit members to his North Block office in a bid to placate the disgruntled members. The State unit members were apparently left with no choice but to fall in line, as the Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta touched down in the capital to attend the joint press conference. The BJP wish-list included at least 17 seats held by sitting AGP MLAs, though the regional party ultimately ended up conceding only a handful of seats held by its MLAs, leading to further embarrassment for the State executive members. "I am not happy with the seat arrangement as we have been put at a great disadvantage," was all Rajen Gohain had to say. He did not even attend the meeting late last night at which the alliance was clinched. The BJP general secretary in charge for Northeast Sunil Shastri and organising secretary, V. Satish were the BJP representatives at the meeting with the AGP leadership. Meanwhile, the BJP leaders sensing the mood of its State unit members, contacted the Chief Minister asking him to come down to formalise the pact, while the entire executive was taken to meet Advani where the news was made known to them, sources said. Tension was writ large on faces of the senior BJP members at the joint press conference and it was cut short by the BJP national president Jana Krishnamurthi soon after Mahanta and Advani wound up their speakers, without letting the reporters field any questions. The BJP president said the details of the seat sharing arrangements, and other related matters about the alliance would be decided at a later date. The AGP was represented by Biraj Sarma, Gunin Hazarika, Chandra Mohan Patowary, its spokesman, Biren Baishya, Keshab Mahanta and a few members. Though the BJP central leadership was in full attendance, with a few from the State like Union Minister for Water Resources, Bijoya Chakraborty and Kabindra Purkayastha also attending, the State executive members barring Rajen Gohain were conspicuous by their absence. Meanwhile, addressing the joint press conference, the Chief Minister said the ruling AGP had decided to fight the elections in alliance with the BJP and other like-minded regional parties, who are responsive to the problems of the State, in view of the changing economic, socio-political scenario. The ensuing Assembly elections will be the first mandate of the people in the 21st century to elect a government for Assam. With the changes in economic scenario and political alignments in the world, this beginning of the century has launched into a competitive era, which has also resulted in a critical and complicated socio-political environment. "Under this backdrop, the alliance of AGP, BJP and other like-minded parties would fight the elections for continued unity, peace and progress of the State," he explained. Meanwhile, both the AGP and BJP are likely to fight on separate election manifestos though the alliance would chalk out a common minimum programme before the polls. AGP leaders said their first priority now would be to placate their own members who may loose their seats following the pact.