GUWAHATI, March 13: Putting all speculations to rest, the ruling Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) President, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, today said the regional party never tried for poll alliance with the BJP. Dismissing all reports in the media as baseless, Mahanta claimed that the AGP did not contact the BJP Central leadership with a proposal to forge an electoral alliance to fight the next Assembly polls in the State. He said the four-party alliance comprising the AGP, CPI, CPM and UPPA was still in the right place. He further informed that the AGP was also in touch with certain small political...

GUWAHATI, March 13: The Union Minister of State for Water Resources and State BJP leader, Bijoya Chakraborty today hinted that the party may forge an alliance with ABSU and ASDC (HoliRAM faction) in the ensuing Assembly election. Addressing a press conference at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International airport immediately after her arrival from New Delhi, Chakraborty said that party had already initiated parleys with the leadership of both ABSU and ASDC (Holi-faction) and a 'clear picture' would emerge soon. She, however ruled out possibility of any alliance with the Trinamool Gana...

AIZAWL, March 13: With dissensions surfacing within the BJP's pradesh committee in Mizoram, a meeting of the party's full extended committee on March 12, threw its support behind its president Ramtiama, reports PTI. The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Ramtiama, dismissed the allegations levelled against the party president as 'baseless". A party press release issued here said that donations collected for Gujarat earthquake relief fund was Rs 14,610 only, and not Rs 1.2 lakh as alleged by the president's detractors. "The donations already collected would be submitted to the party's New...

DHAKA, March 13: Top ULFA leader Anup Chetia, who is serving jail terms here, is to renew his prayer for asylum, press reports said today, reports PTI. Chetia, who is sentenced to several years' jail term for illegal entry into Bangladesh and possessing foreign currency and other valuables, asked his lawyers to make a fresh appeal for political asylum, the Daily Star reported quoting his lawyer Alina Khan in the court where Chetia was produced for hearing in connection with possessing satellite telephone. The judge adjourned the trial till March 29 due to the absence of the witness and the...

AIZAWL, March 13: Mizoram Government, on March 12 said that it was ready for any peace efforts to ensure that the Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) shun the path of violence and come over-ground even as the BNLF sets a series of conditions for peaceful dialogue. State Home Minister Tawnluia told PTI here that the government wanted that all the BNLF cadres should bid farewell to arms and lead normal lives before the commencement of repatriation process of Bru refugees from Tripura. "Any arrangement to bring all the BNLF militants overground is welcomed including a well organised dialogue'...