Opposition still battling to stitch together an alliance

Guwahati, Mar 11: Opposition parties in Asom, barring the BJP, are in the final stages of negotiation to evolve a poll alliance or a seat sharing understanding even as the ruling Congress is preparing to fight the battle on its own.

The major opposition group, regional Asom Gana Parishad(AGP), has ruled out any truck with the BJP and AGP (Progressive) led by Mr Prafulla Kumar Mahanta while in the process of striking an understanding with the CPI, the CPI-M and smaller tribal political groups from Bodo areas and the two hill districts. The AGP's stand is to minimise division of anti-Congress votes.

Veteran parliamentarian from Tura, Meghalaya, and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) P A Sangma made an effort to forges an alliance with the AGP, AGP(P), CPI-M, and newly-formed Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF). But came a cropper due to differences with the CPI-M and the AGP although the AGP(P) led by Mr Mahanta has not rejected a tie-up with the NCP and AUDF.

The AGP, led by Brindabon Goswami, is not game for an alliance with a group of political parties which also have AGP(P) which was formed by former chief minister Prafulla Mahanta after he was expelled from the AGP last year.

The AUDF too has not yet decided whether to stick with to NCP and the AGP(P) or peach an understanding with the more influential AGP.

UNI