GUWAHATI, June 27 � In the post-Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections scenario, several senior Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leaders have called for a comprehensive reform in the party, even as party president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has appealed to those party leaders who stepped down from their posts to withdraw their resignation letters.
In his appeal, Mahanta urged these leaders to provide the party a new direction through discussion. Leaving the party at the time of its crisis is not a good sign for regionalism, he said. The party should remove its shortcomings through in-house discussions and get itself united for the greater interest of the indigenous people of the State as has been desired by the people. There is no alternative to uniting the AGP for making it acceptable for the people, he said.
Senior AGP leader Hiten Goswami, who recently stepped down from his party posts following the humiliation of the regional party in the GMC elections, said, �As party leaders we have failed to inspire the people. I admit that defeat is a part of the game in electoral politics. But in the case of GMC elections, we were totally rejected by the people.�
Goswami made it clear that he is for strengthening the regional force and denied that he is joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). To uphold the ideals of sacrifice he stepped down from the party posts following the call of the leading intellectuals of the State like Prof Kulendu Pathak, noted journalist and litterateur Homen Borgohain to refurbish the regional party, he maintained.
He expressed the apprehension that the arrogance of the AGP leadership may lead to disillusionment in a large chunk of the party rank and file. He warned that the Congress is lying in ambush to take advantage of such a situation.
Another senior AGP leader Padma Hazarika said he is frustrated with the present state of affairs in the party. �I feel that I will not be able to work with the present leadership. Whenever we gave any suggestion for the benefit of the party, we were branded as dissidents. The party constitution was violated on several occasions and its general body meeting was not held for the past 14 months.�
Former AGP general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan demanded comprehensive reforms in the party covering its leadership, vision, policy, work culture, attitude, etc. The failure of the AGP leadership to read the writings on the wall may lead to the rise of another regional party, he warned and appreciated the appeal of seven leading intellectuals on the issue as a timely one.
