To check Cong, BJP plans to tie up with AGP

NEW DELHI, March 31: A casual remark by Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta to the Union Home Minister, LK Advani that the Congress in Assam would stand to gain from the three-cornered contest between the AGP-BJP and Congress that set the ball rolling forcing the leadership of the BJP to re-think on its poll strategy. When Mahanta went to meet the Union Home Minister this Thursday, to talk about resolving the Bodo problem, even he had no idea that he would be triggering a chain of events that would turn around the political scenario in the State. A top BJP leader told The Assam Tribune that after conclusion of the official meeting on the Bodo issue, Advani casually enquired about the poll scenario in the State. The Chief Minister replied that the Congress in the State had an edge thanks to the BJP. Mahanta then reportedly analysed the poll scenario with Advani, explaining that split in common support base between AGP and BJP would directly favour the Congress in the Brahmaputra Valley. By the time Mahanta left the Union Home Minister's office, Advani set in motion a series of moves that saw State leaders rushing back to the Capital. Advani then conferred with the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and with the national president of BJP, Jana Krishnamurthy and the lone Minister from the State, Bijoya Chakraborty, who all agreed that priority lay in defeating the Congress, sources said. Meanwhile, the State unit leadership has since this morning been engaged in a closed-door meeting all through the day re-thinking on their poll strategy. The BJP, apparently has been set a deadline by the AGP which wanted a proposal from the national party by Sunday to enable it to discuss the matter at the representative meeting on Monday. According to sources, late last night the second ranking leadership of the AGP and the BJP held its first formal meeting here to "exchange views". The AGP team was led by State Agriculture Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary and included Arun Kumar Sarma and Keshab Mahanta. The BJP team was represented by its organisational secretary, V Satish and general secretary-in-charge for Northeast, Sunil Shastri, though the Chief Minister who was present in the Capital then, did not attend it. The unexpected development has, however, landed the State unit in a fix, as it continued to adopt a hostile attitude towards such an alliance. Advani today reportedly held discussions with them where he stressed the importance of defeating the Congress. One indication was that if the BJP finally approves the decision to tie-up with AGP, then it may decide to contest majority of the seats in Upper Assam leaving the bulk of seats in Lower Assam for the regional party. One problem area was seen to be the four Assembly segments of Guwahati Parliamentary seat, where both AGP and BJP have equal stakes. Sources said the Chief Minister is expected back in the Capital later next week for meetings with the top BJP central leadership for seat sharing arrangements, if the alliance is forged. Meanwhile, senior BJP-leaders were not available for comments on the development. According to informed sources, the Bodo leadership which had tie-ups with the NDA also pressurised the BJP to forge an alliance with the AGP to keep out the Congress.