AGP to support no confidence, blast SP

Guwahati, Jul 10 (UNI) The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today said it would vote against the Congress on the nuclear deal issue in Parliament.

''Our party will never support the nuclear deal,'' AGP president Brindabon Goswami, working president Phani Bhusan Choudhury and the leader of the Opposition Chandra Mohan Patowary declared at a joint news conference here.

''Let there be a national debate and only then will formulation of a policy be acceptable to the AGP,'' Mr Goswami said.

The AGP leadership also accused the Samajwadi Party of being ''most opportunist'' while asserting that even after the exit of the SP, the UNPA would remain intact.

''The Samajwadi Party has proved themselves opportunist. Their leader Amar Singh is very selfish,'' Mr Patowary said.

The AGP leadership made it clear that they were 'inching closer' to seal a deal with the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha election. ''We want to assemble all non Congress parties under one forum and are talking with the BJP,'' Mr Goswami said.

The AGP had almost finalised the entire seat sharing strategy with the BJP except that of Guwahati for which both are fighting desperately.

The Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF) was also being approached. ''We are talking with everyone and every anti-Congress vote counts a lot in the next election,'' said Mr Patowary.

''We are ready for the election,'' he asserted.

The AGP and BJP will not have an alliance but will have a seat sharing arrangement for the next parliamentary election.

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