Mahanata blames AGP for defeat of regionalism

Guwahati, June 04 (UNI) Former Asom Chief Minister and breakaway AGP(P) president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today blamed the AGP leadership for division of regional camp.

Addressing a news conference here, Mr Mahanta said the AGP did not allow the AGP(P) to come together to ensure non-division of votes of regional camp.

According to him, the Congress came to power because of division of the vote base. He said the AGP (P) was interested in joining hands with the AGP but the latter was not interested.

The AGP had lost more than ten seats because of vote division.

The AGP got 24 seats, while the AGP (P) got just one vote. The AGP will introspect their defeat on their forthcoming executive to be held on Tuesday next.

The AGP was not very keen on getting back the AGP(P) although the pressure had already been mounted both from within the party as well as outside the party for an unity amongst the two parties.

The AGP(P) had decided to take out state-wide rally for revitalising and strengthening of regionalism. Although the AGP(P) leaders had not fixed the date for the rally yet, they said it would be started soon.

Mr Mahanta said the party had its executive committee meeting on Saturday where organizational matters were discussed along with the strengthening of regional politics. The general meeting of the party was held on Sunday.

He said party workers were asked to prepare for facing the coming local bodies election by reaching out to the grassroots.

The AGP(P) leaders said before the formation of their own party, the AGP leadership was apprised of the disaster in dividing the party. AGP(P) leader Ganesh Kutum said on various occasions present AGP president Brindabon Goswami was told about preventing the party from a split.

'' But our concerns were not heeded. And the effect of the division became apparent in the poll result. We were not for forming a new party, and we were compelled to do so when the AGP leadership paid no heed to our concern, '' Kutum said.

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