Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI: With the BJP sticking to its stand in favour of now lapsed contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is left with no other option but to contest the next Lok Sabha polls in Assam on its own.
The executive committee of the AGP resolving not to have any alliance with any political party (BJP) favouring Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, has decided to go it alone in the next Lok Sabha election in Assam.
The AGP had snapped its ties with the ruling BJP on January 7 last protesting the now lapsed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 that was being championed by the BJP-led NDA government in the Centre, constituted three committees to deal with the next Lok Sabha election in the state.
The AGP and the BJP forged alliance before 2016 Assembly election in Assam and the regional party became part of the coalition government headed by the BJP after the election. The AGP had three ministerial berths the BJP-led and Sarbananda Sonowal-headed government in Assam.
The AGP now has set up a nine-member committee headed by its Atul Bora to formulate strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. A party source informed the regional party was likely to contest from those parliamentary constituencies where it has strong base instead of contesting in all the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
The nine-member poll strategy committee has Ramendra Narayan Kalita (convenor), Keshab Mahanta, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Brindabon Goswami, Phani Bhusan Choudhury, Dr Kamala Kanta Kalita, Birendra Prasad Baishya and Pradip Hazarika.
The party also constituted poll campaign committee and a poll manifesto committee. The poll campaign committee will be headed by Nurul Hussain and comprises of Manoj Saikia (Convenor), Bhaben Bharali, Gunin Das, Dilip Bora, Dilip Patgiri, Boroda Kalita, Tularam Gogoi and Sunil Deka.
The eight-member poll manifesto committee comprises of Bhupen Rai (president), Prabindra Deka, (convenor), Gunin Hazarika,, Prabin Hazarika, Renupoma Rajkhowa, Naren Sonowal, Bimalendu Sinha and Divas Phukon.
The regional party which was in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since the 2016 Assam Assembly polls parted ways with the saffron party the latter went ahead with the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 despite its stiff opposition.