AGP to walk out of UNPA over SP stand

From Our Special Correspondent NEW DELHI, July 5 – The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is likely to come out of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) if the Samajwadi Party remains a member of it. Addressing a Press conference here today, AGP president Brindaban Goswami said that the stand of the AGP is very clear on the issue of staying with the UNPA and asserted that it would be forced to come out of the alliance if the Samajwadi Party, which is likely to extend support to the Congress, remains one of its constituents. He said that the AGP was holding talks on the issue with the other regional parties in the Alliance in this regard.Replying to a question on the possibility of the AGP forging an alliance with the BJP for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, Goswami said that the regional party has been talking with different parties. He said that the main aim of the AGP is to form a common platform of the opposition parties to defeat the Congress.However, other office bearers of the AGP including Birendra Prasad Baishya, Kumar Deepak Das and Nurul Hussain, who were present in the Press conference, said that the AGP would not forge an alliance with the BJP and the party might only go for seat sharing. source: assam tribune

Will AGP-BJP alliance materialize?

By our Staff ReporterGUWAHATI, July 4: Of late, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is hobnobbing with both the BJP and the AUDF-CPI-CPM combine. The main regional party of the State cannot hobnob with both BJP and AUDF at the same because the two parties are next to untouchable to each other. At a recent meeting at the Assam Legislative Assembly with Opposition leader Chandra Mohan Patowary and AGP working president Phani Bhushan Choudhury, the AUDF president made it clear in no uncertain terms that if the AGP wanted an electoral understanding with the BJP, the AUDF could not be an ally of the AGP.Even today, the AGP has been maintaining that it has reached no electoral understanding with the BJP as yet, and this statement is indication enough from the regional party to other parties of the State that it has kept all options open for electoral understanding.The anti-Brindabon lobby in the party is more interested to forge an alliance with the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. These AGP leaders, at the same time, want to maintain a cordial understanding with the AUDF-CPI-CPM combine with the one-point agenda that all the opposition parties — AGP, BJP, AUDF and the Left — have the common anti-Congress stand.AGP president Brindabon Goswami, on the other hand, is yet to come out of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA). Meanwhile, when asked on the possible AGP-BJP poll understanding, AGPLP leader Chnadra Mohan Patowary, who is camping in New Delhi, said: “We have had talks with BJP president Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj earlier. But this Delhi tour is purely personal. We have kept all options open to defeat the Congress.”The Congress is apprehensive of the fact that if the AGP-BJP understanding becomes a reality in Asom, the combine will get maximum advantage. According to sources, the AGP is waiting for the reports to be submitted by its 11 party committees that were formed in as many parliamentary constituencies to look into the matter of poll alliance with other parties.Both AGP and BJP sources maintain that unofficial talks for poll alliance are going on between them
AGP, BJP meetFrom a CorrespondentNEW DELHI, July 4: Six AGP leaders today met BJP leader Sushma Swaraj at her residence in New Delhi today on electoral understanding between the two parties in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. This development came close on the heels of another UNPA member party SP extending its support to the UPA Government at the Centre on the Indo-US nuclear deal.After the meeting, MP Arun Kumar Sarma said: “The six-member election committee of the AGP had its first meet with the BJP for electoral alliance. We need to hold more such meetings to sort out the issues.” The AGP team comprised Arun Sarma, Kumar Dipak Das, Sarbananda Sonowal, Padma Hazarika, Birendra Prasad Baishya and Chandra Mohan Patowary.Sushma Swaraj, on the other hand, said the BJP is going to forge alliances with other parties in all the north-eastern States to defeat the Congress. source: sentinel assam

AGP leaders talk alliance with BJP

AGP leaders talk alliance with BJP
NISHIT DHOLABHAI


New Delhi, June 14: AGP legislators Chandramohan Patowary and Padma Hazarika met BJP president Rajnath Singh here today, ostensibly to work out the modalities of an alliance between the parties.

“It was a courtesy call,” said Patowary after over an hour of talks with Singh.
The two legislators met other senior BJP leaders later in the evening. BJP sources were tight-lipped about what transpired in the meeting, but did not rule out an alliance with the regional party.

AGP is part of the United National Progressive Alliance, comprising the Samajwadi Party and other smaller parties who, only a couple of months ago, wanted a third front to counter the BJP and the Congress.

For the BJP, it is a step ahead in breaking the UNPA and adding strength in Assam where it has not been able to make a dent into the Congress strongholds.

At present, the AGP and BJP have only two MPs each in the Lok Sabha from Assam.
The meeting comes at a time when talks are on for AGP’s merger with the party’s splinter groups, including the AGP (Pragatisheel).

AGP(P) leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has been camping in the same building as the two AGP leaders, but was absent from the meeting with the BJP leader.

Sources said Mahanta had met BJP leaders a month ago for the same reason. “We are yet to finalise,” Mahanta said. Source: telegraphindia