Guwahati: Launching all-out efforts to revive its fortunes and sagging morale, the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) sounds overtly apologetic before the people of Assam for the mistakes committed by the party when it ruled the state on two occasions in the past.
Addressing, the two-day national convention (Jatiya Abhibartan) which has been organised by the party with a purpose for introspection, taking opinions of intellectuals and deciding the future course of action, former Assam chief minister and senior leader of the AGP, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on Tuesday called upon the people of Assam to forgive the party for ‘the mistakes it had committed while ruling
the state for two terms in the past and stand behind the party that it trying to regain its strength.
The AGP has organised the convention from on Monday to seek opinion of a section of select intellectuals, well wishers and the people in general for re-establish the mass contact for refurbishing the
sagging image of the party which has repeatedly put up very poor show in all the elections held in the state since 2001, Mahanta said, “We might have committed few mistakes while our party was ruling the state.
We should be forgiven for those mistakes taking into account the good work done by our governments for the state during our tenure. It was our government which convinced the Centre to change the pattern of assistance to the state at the ratio of 90 per cent grant and 10 per cent loan for spurring all round development. Our government started the wheels of rural development in the state.”
The AGP under leadership of Mahanta was thrashed in 2001 Assembly election by Tarun Gogoi-led Congress which exploited the public outrage against the then AGP government for patronizing alleged extra-judicial killings of kin of cadres of the outlawed ULFA , lack of development and corruption during the
regional party’s tenure during 1996-2001.
Since then the AGP has failed to revive itself even while squabbles within the party virtually divided it into pro-Mahanta and anti-Mahanta camps. In the last Lok Sabha election the AGP drew blank in Assam while BJP gained over its weakness.
Many senior AGP leadersexpressing frustration over lack of dynamism in Mahanta’s leadership, had joined the BJP before the last Lok Sabha polls and that severely affected the morale of party cadres.
The situation came to such a passé that Mahanta was forced to relinquish the post of party president to prevent further erosion in part ranks. Post Lok Sabha polls, Mahanta handed over the charge of the party to the working president Atul Bora.
The two-day convention is being held by the party to initiate effective steps to regain its base among the masses of Assam who have rejected the ruling Congress in the last Lok Sabha polls in the state.
The party is seeking words of advice and guidance from the guardians of Assamese society it its endeavour.