TEZPUR, March 13 � The AGP today received another jolt in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections with its senior leader Joseph Toppo quitting the party.
The sitting MP from Tezpur, who is also a general secretary of the AGP, while talking to this correspondent over telephone, said that he had decided to quit as he was dissatisfied with the inaction of the party even though the polls are knocking at the door. �The polls are near, but the party is yet to field its candidate in the prestigious Tezpur constituency. This has demoralised the party workers like me,� Toppo rued.
The senior AGP leader said that lack of an effective policy had caused the delay in the party failing to finalise its candidates for most of the constituencies.
Asked if he would join the BJP like the AGP�s ex-president Chandra Mohan Patowary and senior leader Hiten Goswami, the Tezpur MP said that he was yet to take his decision in this regard.
Former AGP president Brindaban Goswami has resented Toppo�s action, saying that by quitting the regional party he had acted irresponsibly.
Goswami said Toppo would be answerable to the people of Tezpur Lok Sabha segment for his act, given the fact that he was a general secretary and senior leader of the party.
However, the ex-AGP president expressed his annoyance over the present state of affairs in the party. He reiterated full faith in regionalism, but went on to add that he was not interested in fighting from the Tezpur seat on an AGP ticket.
