GUWAHATI, March 4 � The possibility of an electoral alliance between the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Lok Sabha polls has virtually been ruled out and the regional party has decided to start talks with the Third Front and the Trinamool Congress.
The steering committee of the AGP today met to discuss the political situation and decided that as the State committee of the BJP is opposing the alliance, it would be difficult to go for an alliance in the true sense.
Talking to The Assam Tribune after the meeting, AGP general secretary Ramendra Narayan Kalita said that the regional party was in favour of an electoral understanding with the BJP to prevent division of votes. He said that because of the opposition by the State unit leaders of the BJP, the alliance could not come through and the BJP would be responsible if the Congress manages to take advantage of the division of the votes.
Kalita said that so far 42 persons have sought party ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls and it would soon announce the names of its candidates. However, it is still not decided whether the AGP would contest all the 14 seats or not, and the final decision in this regard would be taken shortly.
