BJP ready to share only 3 seats with AGP; final call on March 4

GUWAHATI: The BJP and its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today agreed that the former would not field candidates against the three AGP ministers in their respective constituencies and the two parties would go to friendly fights in the remaining constituencies in the Assam assembly elections.

The three seats the BJP would not field candidates are Bokakhat (agriculture minister Atul Bora), Kaliabor (water resources minister Keshav Mahanta) and Bongaigaon (food and civil supplies minister Phani Bhusan Choudhury).

Sources said, after a marathon meeting between the two parties’ leadership here today, it was insisted by the BJP that the AGP should not contest from all the 14 seats it had won in the 2016 assembly elections.

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The sources said a final decision is likely to be attained on March 4.

The nomination process will commence tomorrow. Assam will go to polls on March 27, April 1 and 6.

Disappointed by the BJP’s bullying, the AGP leaders staged a walkout from the meeting held at the official residence of Assam state BJP president Ranjeet Kr Dass here. The AGP leaders alleged that the BJP leadership “ignored” all proposals from their side.

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, state minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and MP Dilip Saikia also attended the meeting.

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The AGP was represented by its president Atul Bora, working president Keshav Mahanta, Birendra Prasad Baishya and Phani Bhusan Chouhdury.

The AGP has been demanding 40 seats, while the BJP was insisting on contesting from at least seven seats that the AGP won last time.

The BJP has been overconfident of a landslide victory ahead of the state polls.