AGP a united house: Goswami

Guwahati, Jun 28 (UNI) Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Brindabon Goswami today claimed that there was no threat to his leadershiup in the party following recent election debacles.

He dismissed speculations that there was dissidence in the party and said it would emerge stronger in near future.

Addressing a press meet here, Mr Goswami said, ''It is due to the true democratic traditions of the party that even a grass-roots level member has the right to question me.'' He said the AGP would continue to promote regionalism and advocate the rights of the people of the state.

On media criticism in the wake of the party's debacle in the last Assembly elections, he said the organisation would take the criticism positively and use it to strengthen it.

A committee had been formed to analyse the cause of defeat of the party and was expected to submit its report within a month, he added.

Mr Goswami said the AGP had no immediate plans of forging any alliance with the BJP.

Announcing the decisions of the party's steering committee's meet yesterday, he said it has taken note of the various policies of the government which, it felt, were against the benefit of the people.

The AGP demanded a cut in fuel prices, fees relaxation for higher education for the economically weak, non-interference of politicians in implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Sarba Siksha Abhiyan.

AGP Lok Sabha MP Sarbananda Sonowal, also present in the meet, clarified that he had no plans of deflecting to the BJP.

''I have been elected twice by the people as a AGP candidate. I see no reason why anyone should speculate that I will join the BJP,'' he clarified.

Party vice-president Thaneswar Boro also refuted media reports that he had met expelled former AGP president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta in Rangiya on June 26. He said he had been in Guwahati on the said date and had not met Mr Mahanta as was reported in local media.

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