GUWAHATI, Dec 28 - The alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) will continue for the 2021 Assembly elections and both the parties have decided to intensify mass contact programmes to create awareness about the development schemes taken up during the tenure of the present Government.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, AGP president and State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora said that a team of the AGP had discussion with Union Home Minister, Amit Shah during his recent visit to the State on the future of the alliance. It was decided that in the interest of the State, the alliance would continue. And both the parties would make efforts to create awareness among the people of Assam about the achievements of the Government. However, no discussion was held on seat sharing and it was decided that the issue would be discussed in February or March depending on the strength of the parties in different constituencies.
The AGP president asserted that though the regional party forged an alliance with the BJP, it would not give up its ideology. �Implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord is vital for the protection of identity of indigenous people of the State and during the discussion with the Union Home Minister, we requested him to expedite the process of implementation of that Clause of the accord,� he added. Replying to a question on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, Bora said that the matter is pending before the Supreme Court and hoped that the Court would give justice to the people.
Bora said that they would have to be realistic and though the AGP has difference of opinion with the BJP on certain issues, it decided to continue the alliance keeping the interest of the State in mind. He said that under the present political situation, alliances between parties based on common minimum programme is the need of the hour. He pointed out that the AGP first came into alliance with the BJP way back in 2001 when former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was the president of the party. Even before that, the AGP was in an alliance with the Left parties. He said there is need for thwarting the alliance between Congress and AIUDF and alleged that the AIUDF was formed to oppose the scrapping of the controversial Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act.
The AGP has already started holding public rallies in different parts of the State in a bid to bringing the party closer to the people and Bora said that they were receiving overwhelming support from cross sections of people, particularly from the youths. �I joined the AGP in 1995 and I have never seen such positive response from youths before,� he added.
