Assam polls: Defunct Asom Gana Parishad (Progressive) is being revived, in talks with Grand alliance for 15 seats

With seat sharing deal between Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and BJP likely to axe out several leaders, defunct political party Asom Gana Parishad (Progressive) is being revived.

State BJP president Ranjit Kumar Dass told media persons that seat sharing with AGP and ally United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) is almost done and an announcement will be made soon.

This has fuelled that speculation that the former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta who is winning continuously from Barhampur since 1985 will be axed out and the seat has gone to BJP.


AGP had expelled Mahanta in 2005 on charges of anti-party activities following which he went on to form Asom Gana Parishad (Progressive) and manage to win one seat in 2006 assembly polls. Mahanta was back to AGP fold in 2008.

Asom Andolan Sangrami Manch (AASM), a platform of the participants of the Assam Movement (1979-1985) which is led by Mahanta has started discussion with congress led grand alliance and sought 15 seats for AGP (Progressive).

Dhurva Sarma, convenor of AASM told ET, “We had discussion with the Grand alliance and impressed upon them that anti Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) forces must unite. We have sought 15 seats and are hopeful that the Grand alliance will favourably look into it.”

Mahanta has been opposing CAA and in the last five years attacked BJP despite being in coalition. Contrary to the party's stand he has expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Mahanta who did not keep well has recovered and people close to him said that he will return to Assam from New Delhi on Friday.

Mahanta has contested that CAA is opposed to the Assam Accord. Assam witnessed bitter protest in 2019 and early 2020 when the CAA — which aims to make minority communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible to apply for Indian citizenship — was passed by Parliament.

Mahanta is one of the signatory Assam accord, signed after a six-year-long anti-foreigners’ movement led by the All Assam Students Union, as per the Accord the cut-off date for detection of foreigners in Assam is March 24, 1971.