Visiting each other's office: Assam's ruling allies find a way to cement their bond

The constituent parties of the ruling coalition in Assam have started holding meetings aimed at cementing the alliance.

On Monday, leaders of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) visited the office of the BJP in Guwahati.

AGP leaders Atul Bora and Kesab Mahanta, both ministers in the state government, said the allies have come to power in Assam. “We want to ensure that this bonhomie does not remain just among the state leaderships but percolates to the grassroots,” they said.


Recently, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is from the BJP, visited AGP’s headquarter in Ambari in Guwahati.

BJP’s state unit president Ranjit Kumar Dass told ET, “We will visit our ally United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) office and they will come to our office.”

He said, “The idea is that the relationship between the allies must become stronger. We can discuss issues confronting the allies in this forum.”

The BJP-led NDA secured 75 seats in the 126-member state assembly--11 seats less than in 2016. The BJP won 60 seats, maintaining the tally from five years ago. The AGP won nine seats against 14 seats last time, while the new alliance partner, United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), got six seats.