BJP exudes confidence of contesting Lok Sabha polls without Asom Gana Parishad

GUWAHATI: The thumping success in the BJP in the Panchayat polls has given the confidence to the party to contest the 2019 parliamentary polls on its own.

Its ally Asom Gana Parishad(AGP) which contested election separately did not perform on expected lines and came third after congress.

AGP and BJP were engaged in bitter war words in the run up to Panchayat polls. The relationship between two partners became bitter on the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.


The bill aimed at making minority communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for applying for Indian citizenship is under the consideration of Joint parliamentary committee of both the Houses.

AGP warned that the bill will dilute Assam’s identity and has threatened to walk out of alliance if the bill is passed in parliament.

A senior BJP leader, who do not want to be named said, “We have informed our Central leadership that Panchayat election provided us opportunity to mobilize grassroots worker and we had tremendous support in the grassroots.”

The BJP leader said that party is ready for Lok Sabha polls. “ We can do without AGP and our results will be better than 2014. In last Lok Sabha polls we won seven seats.”

BJP state president Ranjeet Kumar Dass had submitted detailed report to party national president Amit Shah during office bearers meeting in New Delhi on Thursday on how AGP worked against the spirit of alliance.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal thanked the people of the state for taking part in Panchayat election in large numbers and voting for development and good governance.

The chief minister said that the people living in the Barak to Brahmaputra valleys, plains and hills of Assam spontaneously took part in the Panchayat elections and results showed that the people have reposed their faith on the good governance of both the Central and State governments.