Gogoi terms Amar Singh 'businessmen'

Guwahati, Mar 07 (UNI) Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today recalled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh as a 'liaison man' for Birlas who used to court him seeking favour for the industrial house.

Taking a dig at the AGP as well as Mr Amar Singh Mr, Gogoi made light of his involvement in Asom politics. Incidentally, the AGP is trying to rope in the Samajwadi Party as junior partner of a proposed grand alliance against the Congress.

''I very well remember how he used to come to me for(to seek favours) Birlas. He was a good liaison man. Good middle man. In fact when I was Union Minister I asked him to donate Rs two lakh for the renovation of our Delhi Asom House, which he did.

''But he is not a man to be taken seriously in politics. He is a personal friend of mine and I take him seriously as a friend but not as a politician. I should be happy if he comes for campaigning against me as desired by the AGP. It only shows how much the AGP is nervous,'' the chief minister said.

The AGP is trying to forge a grand alliance involving the TDP,SP and left parties.

''I want him to come so that I can expose more,'' Mr Gogoi said adding that even the CPI had a meeting with the Congress despite that fact that the left had been having an anti-Congress public posture.

''The CPI will feel bad if I say all this but our talks did not materialise because the party wanted more seats,'' he revealed.

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