NEW DELHI, April 25 � Asom Gana Parishad�s (AGP) decision to snap ties with BJP has caught its national leadership off guard, with BJP State president, Ranjit Dutta and other senior leaders likely to be summoned to Delhi.
As news of the break-up reached the national leadership, senior leaders discussed among themselves its fallout. Though there were some indications that all was not well, AGP�s sudden decision caught them unawares. A steering committee meeting of the regional party on Saturday decided to part ways.
Sources said senior leader Sushma Swaraj, who was one of the architects behind forging of the ties, has called a meeting of the BJP State MPs on Monday to get their views on the issue. Senior leaders are of the opinion that lack of communication between the two parties might have led to the break-up. The meeting is also likely to be joined by its senior leaders including Harendra Pratap.
All the four MPs including Bijoya Chakravarty, who is also its national vice president, Kabindra Purkayastha, Rajen Gohain and Ramen Deka are expected to meet Sushma Swaraj. Incidentally, all four MPs are Dutta�s detractors and have been critical of his functioning.
Sources said BJP State president Dutta and its in-charge for the state Chandrashekhar are likely to be called to the national capital to brief the national leadership about the development.
AGP has blamed BJP national president Nitin Gadkari for the break-up holding his comments on the party as the proverbial last straw in the ties. Relationship between the two had nose dived after four BJP MLAs voted for the Congress candidate in the last Rajya Sabha election leading to the defeat of the Opposition�s combined candidate.
AGP and BJP had parted company earlier also and relation between the two has never been a smooth affair. When they forged ties ahead of the last Parliamentary polls in 2009, the two sides had agreed to fight the next Assembly polls together.
Our Staff Reporter adds: GUWAHATI, April 25: The alliance between Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) will not continue for the 2011 State Assembly polls and the AGP will try to come into electoral understanding with the regional parties.
AGP spokesman Atul Bora said that the steering committee of the party has already taken the decision in this regard, which would have to be approved by the general house. He said that the grass root level workers of the AGP were of the view that the votes of the BJP supporters were not transferred to the AGP candidates in the last Lok Sabha polls, while, the BJP was benefited from the alliance with the AGP. He said that the recent statements of the BJP president Nitin Gadkari on the AGP also prompted the regional party to take the decision.
