BJP, AGP, BPF appeal for unity to uproot Congress

Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance partners in Assam on Saturday said they have united to keep the ruling Congress out of power in the state after the forthcoming polls.

The alliance appealed to all party members to ensure the victory of the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and Bodo People`s Front (BPF) alliance for the sake of good governance and a corruption-free Assam.

The three have forged an alliance ahead of the forthcoming Assam assembly polls.

While the BJP is contesting on 88 seats, the AGP is contesting only 24 seats and the BPF about 14 seats.

The alliance between the BJP and AGP, however, led to severe discontent among the workers of both the parties in different parts of the state and even led to splits in the two parties.

While the disgruntled workers of the AGP floated a new front christened AGP Regional Forum, the BJP workers unhappy over the alliance have formed a new party, Trinamool BJP.

Both the split factions of the BJP and AGP have decided to put up their own candidates in some of the constituencies, which is expected the further divide the AGP and BJP vote banks, giving an edge to other parties like the Congress and AIUDF in particular constituencies.

"I accept that there are some differences among us on some issues. However, we are working on hammering out the differences and I do not feel it is impossible. We have come together with the main objective of keeping the Congress out of power this time," said AGP president Atul Bora while addressing a press conference on Saturday.

"The people of Assam want a change and BJP has taken the initiative and we have supported it for the greater interest to make Assam Congress free."

The conference was addressed jointly by AGP president Atul Bora, Assam BJP president Sarbananda Sonowal and BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary.

Although the three parties have come together, they are yet to come out with a common minimum programme.

"People of Assam have given three opportunities to the Congress. However, the party had failed to fulfil the aspirations of the common people of the state. The Congress is power hungry and winning elections out of its Bangladeshi vote bank politics," Sonowal said.

He said the BJP, AGP and BPF have emerged as a strong alternative to the Congress and it could only bring a stable and transparent government to Assam for overall development.

BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary said that his party had supported the Congress in the past and was an alliance partner of the Congress at Dispur for 10 years.

"However, we have realised that the problems of the Bodos and Bodoland are far from being over in the Congress rule. We believe that development can be brought by the BJP alone and so we have decided to support BJP this time," he said, adding the alliance is sure to form the next government in the state.

The two-phase state assembly election will be held on April 4 and 11 to elect members from the 126 constituencies in Assam.