AGP founder Prafulla Mahanta to not contest Assam polls in 2021

GUWAHATI: Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, two-time chief minister of Assam, has confirmed that he shall not be contesting the polls from any party.

The confirmation was made amid reports that the Barhampur MLA is planning to revive his defunct Asom Gana Parishad (Pragatisheel) party after being denied a ticket by the ruling National Democratic Alliance coalition.

That Mahanta, an MLA continuously since 1985, will not contest the forthcoming Assembly polls in Assam, was revealed by his wife, potentially signalling the end of the road for one of the state’s most influential leaders.

Prafulla Mahanta was reportedly denied a ticket because of "low winnability chances", said Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Atul Bora.

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“There is no conspiracy in giving Barhampur to the BJP. We considered the winning prospect of a seat. We have to see whether the NDA is going to win a seat or not," AGP president Atul Bora said at a press conference on Sunday.

However, it is being speculated that the former chief minister ran afoul of his party after his continued resistance to the Citizenship Amendment Act. The former All Assam Students' Union (AASU) president was being increasingly sidelined by a party which is finding hard to stay relevant in the face of the BJP’s brand of aggressive nationalism.

Mahanta had founded the AGP after leading the six-year-long anti-foreigner agitation which ended with the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985.