DIBRUGARH, March 11 - Senior AGP leader and former MLA of Tingkhong LAC, Anup Phukan tendered his resignation from the party today, citing differences with the party leadership over the alliance with the BJP and the denial of a party ticket.
Asom Yuba Parishad president Sunil Rajkonwar also resigned recently to form the AGP (Anchalik Manch) for the same reasons. Rajkonwar had sought a party ticket from the Moran LAC.
Phukan, who contested the Lok Sabha polls in 2011, said that a conspiracy was being hatched by the BJP to uproot the regional party from Upper Assam. Naren Sonowal from Naharkatia LAC is the only candidate to get the AGP ticket from Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.
Phukan said that the strength of the AGP in Tingkhong had grown and therefore, Tingkhong LAC should have been included in the list of AGP seats. �The leaders should have given a thought to a friendly contest at least, but they just ignored it. The decision of the AGP leaders has deeply hurt the party workers here,� Phukan said.
Phukan resigned after holding a daylong meeting with party workers. In the meeting, it was resolved that Phukan would contest as an Independent candidate.
A faculty member of the English Department of Tingkhong College, Phukan has been contesting the Assembly polls as an AGP candidate since 1996. He was also the president of the AGP�s district unit.
