GUWAHATI, May 21 - Reiterating its commitment to implementing the Assam Accord in its entirety, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), however, remained tight-lipped over the party�s expectations from the alliance on Cabinet portfolios, including the Assam Accord Implementation Department.
Though speculations were rife about the party getting two ministerial seats in the new government, party president Atul Bora today said that the steering committee of the party would decide on the issue tomorrow.
The issue of Assam Accord implementation, however, is likely to be a bone of contention between the Bharatiya Janata Party, the senior partner of the alliance, and the AGP. As per the Accord, the cutoff date for detecting and deporting illegal foreigners staying in Assam is March 24, 1971, while the NDA government�s decision to grant asylum to Hindu migrants from Bangladesh stands as a violation of the Accord. Their respective stands on the issue of mega dams may prove to be another irritant for the alliance partners.
�The issues having the potential of causing discord. The big dam issue and the issue of granting refugee status to Hindu migrants coming from Bangladesh would be discussed
thoroughly to arrive at a consensus. We would sit with the BJP to discuss the issues together. We are committed to implementing the Assam Accord and no matter which party keeps the portfolio, we would stick to our stand,� said Bora.
�All our elected members would sit in a meeting where all the key issues, including our expectations from the alliance, would be discussed threadbare to reach a consensus on every issue,� he added.
Party insiders, however, stated that the party workers were hoping for a proportional representation in the new government. The AGP contested in 30 seats, of which it won 14. The party would be returning to power after a gap of 15 years.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and seven-time elected representative from the AGP, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, thanked the people of Assam and congratulated the alliance members for getting a clear mandate and ousting the Congress.
�I hope the problems of the State would be best addressed by this new government, reinstating the faith of people into their elected representatives,� Mahanta said.
