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AGP
claims clean sweep for alliance
Express News
Service
Guwahati,
April 18: THE AGP-led alliance of BJP and two tribal groups
will sweep the Assam Assembly elections and secure a two-thirds
majority, state Agriculture Minister and AGP general secretary Chandra
Mohan Patowari claimed here today.
Replying to
queries at the party headquarters, Patowari said the Congress, which
is yet to finalise its list of candidates, will be wiped out. ‘‘This
is the best political combination Assam has ever had,’’
he said, adding that it is for the first time that the Bodo and
Karbi tribal groups have joined hands with the AGP under one umbrella.
The party also
announced its second list of candidates. At the top of the list
figured Chief Minister and party president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta,
who is contesting the prestigious Dispur constituency apart from
Barhampur.
Others who have been included in the list of 22 candidates today
are former All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) president Sarbananda
Sonowal. He has been given a ticket for the Moran constituency.
The seat is currently held by Congress.
Today’s
list of 22 candidates had as many as 10 Muslim candidates, including
Bilasipara (West) MLA Ali Akbar Miyan. Former AGP vice-president
Prabin Gogoi has been renominated from the Khumtai constituency.
The AGP has
now announced candidates for 76 seats. It has left 34 seats for
BJP, while All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) will be fielding
candidates in eight constituencies. The seat-sharing arrangement
with the Holiram Terang faction of the Autonomous State Demand Committee
(ASDC) is yet to be finalised. Both AGP and ASDC have been staking
claim to Diphu seat, party general-secretary Birendra Prasad Baishya
said.
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