GUWAHATI, June 28 � The pro-reform camp in the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today made it clear that it has raised the banner of revolt in the party seeking reformation in its leadership, vision and attitude. It ruled out any en-masse exodus of the rank and file of the party to any other party in the near future.
The camp maintains that the present leadership of the party headed by former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has failed to reflect the desires of the people of the State. It has failed to provide the party an effective agenda for ethnic problems. The party does not have significant representation of the ethnic groups, nor is it pursuing the aliens� issue in the desired line to keep its constituency intact.
Without the inflow of new blood to the party leadership, it is bound to fail in attracting the new generation of the State�s people towards it in a large number, said the reformists.
Meanwhile, senior AGP leader and Sootea MLA Padma Hazarika today resigned from all party posts �in the interest of a comprehensive change in the party�s image.� Besides, nine city-based central executive committee members of the party, 16 of its city committee members and six leaders of its Dharmiya Sankhalaghu Parishad also resigned from their respective posts today.
Significantly, former Minister and senior AGP leader Atul Bora (senior) told this newspaper that talks on his joining the Bharatiya Janata Party is on and a clear picture on the matter would be available by Tuesday next.
In his resignation letter addressed to party president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Padma Hazarika alleged that for their efforts to strengthen the party through reformation he and several of his fellow party men were ignored by the party leadership for over a year now. But it is a fact that without the change in the leadership and image of the party, it has no acceptance among the masses of the people, Hazarika asserted.
Hazarika told this newspaper that he had resigned from the central executive committee and steering committee of the party for bringing in an overall change in the party. The leadership of Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has alienated the party from the people.
Hazarika, however, maintained that the question of his leaving the party does not arise at this moment.
Jiten Deka, a city-based central executive committee member of the party who resigned from his post today told this newspaper that they had informed the party leadership to hold discussion on the issues they had raised. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta assured a discussion on the issues on July 3 next.
Anowar Hussain, president of the AGP Dharmiya Sankhalaghu Parishad, who resigned from his post along with two general secretaries, two secretaries and the organising secretary of the Parishad, told this newspaper that contrary to their expectation, a collective leadership of the party representing all the ethnic groups was not allowed to emerge for the past about one year.
He claimed that the Dharmiya Sankhalaghu Parishad leaders are not leaving the party, rather they are for a total reformation in the party.
