GUWAHATI/ NEW DELHI, March 5: Putting an end to speculation over the different possibilities of a seat-sharing arrangement between the AGP and the BJP, both parties today formally announced an alliance for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in the State.
Addressing the press in New Delhi after the arrangement between both parties was finalized, BJP president Rajnath Singh said that the BJP would act as the “big brother” in the forthcoming parliamentary polls, while the AGP would be the senior partner during the 2011 Assembly elections in the State.
An alliance between both parties seemed hazy till late yesterday night with the AGP agreeing to hand over the Guwahati seat to the BJP, provided it did not field party national vice-president Bijoya Chakraborty for this seat. After much deliberation, the BJP national leaders succumbed to the AGP’s demand and the seat sharing was finalized late yesterday night.
Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the State, the AGP would now contest six seats and the BJP eight, including Guwahati. Accordingly, the BJP will now be fielding its candidates in Guwahati, Dhubri, Mangaldoi, Nagaon, Diphu, Jorhat, Silchar and Karimganj, while the AGP would be placing its candidates in Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Kaliabor, Tezpur, Barpeta and Kokrajhar.
Sources said BJP leader Rajnath Singh has verbally given the AGP leaders his word not to field Bijoya Chakraborty in the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat.
The AGP had placed another condition that in the next Assembly elections to be held in 2011, the BJP would not stake claim over the Assembly constituencies where the regional party had emerged victorious in the 1985 and 1996 Assembly elections in the State. The demand is under consideration.
Leaders of both parties formally declared the alliance at a joint press conference held in New Delhi today afternoon. BJP national president Rajnath Singh, prime ministerial candidate LK Advani and Sharad Yadav were the leaders from the BJP side, while the AGP was represented by party president Chandra Mohan Patowary and working president Phani Bhushan Choudhury.
Stating that the AGP was borne of a “nationalist movement and had gained experience in governance as well”, Advani said, “This party has come together with the NDA and I welcome it,” he said, expressing hope that the alliance would help the NDA not just in Asom but also in the 24 seats in the “northeastern sector”.
However, it is not clear whether the AGP has joined the NDA. Talking to The Sentinel from New Delhi, Patowary denied reports of his party joining the NDA, even as he said that the alliance would signal the “pathetic end” of the Congress.
Even though today’s alliance formally marked an end to the increasing bitterness between both parties, resentment has crept in among the workers of both parties due to the conditions which were put forward for the finalization of the alliance. Party workers of both the BJP and AGP in Asom have also started expressing apprehensions over the seat-sharing arrangement managing to yield the desired results.
Sources said that a massive joint rally of both parties will be organized in Guwahati in the near future. The Sentinel
Addressing the press in New Delhi after the arrangement between both parties was finalized, BJP president Rajnath Singh said that the BJP would act as the “big brother” in the forthcoming parliamentary polls, while the AGP would be the senior partner during the 2011 Assembly elections in the State.
An alliance between both parties seemed hazy till late yesterday night with the AGP agreeing to hand over the Guwahati seat to the BJP, provided it did not field party national vice-president Bijoya Chakraborty for this seat. After much deliberation, the BJP national leaders succumbed to the AGP’s demand and the seat sharing was finalized late yesterday night.
Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the State, the AGP would now contest six seats and the BJP eight, including Guwahati. Accordingly, the BJP will now be fielding its candidates in Guwahati, Dhubri, Mangaldoi, Nagaon, Diphu, Jorhat, Silchar and Karimganj, while the AGP would be placing its candidates in Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Kaliabor, Tezpur, Barpeta and Kokrajhar.
Sources said BJP leader Rajnath Singh has verbally given the AGP leaders his word not to field Bijoya Chakraborty in the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat.
The AGP had placed another condition that in the next Assembly elections to be held in 2011, the BJP would not stake claim over the Assembly constituencies where the regional party had emerged victorious in the 1985 and 1996 Assembly elections in the State. The demand is under consideration.
Leaders of both parties formally declared the alliance at a joint press conference held in New Delhi today afternoon. BJP national president Rajnath Singh, prime ministerial candidate LK Advani and Sharad Yadav were the leaders from the BJP side, while the AGP was represented by party president Chandra Mohan Patowary and working president Phani Bhushan Choudhury.
Stating that the AGP was borne of a “nationalist movement and had gained experience in governance as well”, Advani said, “This party has come together with the NDA and I welcome it,” he said, expressing hope that the alliance would help the NDA not just in Asom but also in the 24 seats in the “northeastern sector”.
However, it is not clear whether the AGP has joined the NDA. Talking to The Sentinel from New Delhi, Patowary denied reports of his party joining the NDA, even as he said that the alliance would signal the “pathetic end” of the Congress.
Even though today’s alliance formally marked an end to the increasing bitterness between both parties, resentment has crept in among the workers of both parties due to the conditions which were put forward for the finalization of the alliance. Party workers of both the BJP and AGP in Asom have also started expressing apprehensions over the seat-sharing arrangement managing to yield the desired results.
Sources said that a massive joint rally of both parties will be organized in Guwahati in the near future. The Sentinel
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