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Amid intense speculations, Assam Cong to hold screening panel meet

By Spl Correspondent

NEW DELHI, March 5 - Amidst intense speculation over a possible alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the Congress party�s Assam unit is holding its screening committee meeting on Thursday to shortlist Lok Sabha candidates.

AICC general secretary in-charge for Assam, Harish Rawat, meanwhile, is meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi tomorrow to brief him about the political scenario in Assam, said sources.

On Thursday, the screening committee comprising PCC president Ripun Bora, Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia, Harish Rawat and AICC general secretary (administration) Venugopal is meeting to further shortlist the candidates. A panel of five names for each constituency has been submitted to the AICC, said sources.

The Congress has decided to keep on hold a few constituencies including the Barpeta and Dhubri seats. The Congress leader said that their discussions with AGP has so far remained inconclusive as the regional party has so far not made up its mind.

Sources said that the Congress is willing to offer Guwahati, Nagaon and Lakhimpur seats and may even consider giving away Tezpur seat to the AGP. However, talks have been deadlocked over Kaliabor seat which the AGP is keen to contest. As Gaurav Gogoi represents that seat, the Congress has conveyed that it cannot spare the seat, said sources.

Meanwhile, AGP president and Atul Bora and Keshab Mahanta rushed to the capital yesterday and reportedly met the BJP general secretary incharge Ram Madhav to discuss about restoring the alliance between the two parties. The discussion comes in the backdrop of rejection of the alliance by the State BJP unit.

However, sources said that the alliance looks difficult and even the RSS is now against allying with the AGP.

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