BJP to review alliance with AGP in Assam

Guwahati: A day after maintaining a massive lead in the ongoing counting of votes in the panchayat elections, the Assam BJP has moved to the central BJP leadership to review the ongoing alliance with regional Asom Gana Parishad accusing them of violating the sanctity of the alliance by publicly criticizing the BJP.

It is significant that ruling BJP has taken a substantial lead in Assam Panchayat elections by winning close to 50 per cent seats so far. The counting of the panchayat election that began on Wednesday, is still underway. As per the latest data released by the Assam State Election Commission, the BJP had won 6,333 seats and Congress had won 4,606 seats out of total 21,990 Assam Gaon Panchayat Member (GPM) seats.

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has won 1,178 seats, AIUDF bagged 558, Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF)- 33 and IND- 1547.

In the state Gaon Panchayat Election results, the BJP is leading with 715 seats while the Congress is trailing by winning 486 seats. The AGP has bagged 210 seats and AIUDF 75 seats.

In Assam Anchalik Panchayat Member Election Results, the BJP is leading with 715 seats while the Congress has won 486 seats.

In Zilla Parishad Election Results, the BJP has won 100 while the Congress has secured 44 seats.

Lauding the performance of the party against all odds and hostile attack of alliance partner the AGP, Assam BJP president Ranjeet Dass who was in New Delhi to attend a party office bearers meeting said, "We are going to apprise our central leadership of these developments and it is up to them to take a decision. But we wish to say that for all the sacrifice we made in various constituencies, we did not get anything in return from the AGP."

Pointing out the constituencies where BJP made sacrifice to ensure victory for AGP, Mr Dass however clarified "We are not calling for ending the alliance with the AGP, but we want to say that the sanctity of the alliance that should have been respected by the AGP was not appreciated."

Assam BJP president said that the people of Assam have rejected divisive politics and expressed their faith in the leadership of BJP.

Meanwhile results of panchayat elections has also reflected dents in the support base of political bigwigs of the state including Asam Congress president Ripun Bora, AGP president Atul Bora and Assam BJP president as well.

The panchayat poll results in Jorhat have come as a shocker for the BJP as out of the nine Zilla Parishad constituency results declared, the Congress got five, the BJP three and the AGP one. Jorhat MP Kamakhya Tasa and MLA and Assam assembly speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami belong to the BJP. In the Jorhat election district, the Congress got 195 GP wards, while the BJP and the AGP got 176 and 76 respectively. The BJP, however, put up a strong show in neighbouring Mariani, which is represented by Congress MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, bagging two of the four ZP member seats and 11 out of the 17 GP president posts.

AGP president Atul Bora and working president Keshab Mahanta also faced reverses in their constituencies - Bokakhat and Kaliabor respectively. In Bokakhat, the BJP got 16 Anchalik Panchayat members elected out of the total 20 declared, while the AGP got just three. Similarly, the BJP got 100 GP members against 71 by the AGP. In Kaliabor, 76 out of the 165 victorious GP members are from the BJP. The AGP could win only 39 seats. Former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was also in jittery after the panchayat results in his constituency, Barhampur.  

The Congress suffered a drubbing in its state president Ripun Bora's constituency, Gohpur. Of the 232 GP ward members elected, 194 are from the BJP and only 21 from the Congress.

Assam BJP president Ranjeet Dass also finds himself on a shaky ground in his home district, Barpeta. The Congress won 142 GP wards against 79 by the BJP.

The AIUDF suffered some major setbacks in Dhubri and Goalpara.