Prafulla Mahanta's comeback to AGP cleared

Guwahati, Sep 21 (UNI) Political equations in Assam headed towards new alignments today as former chief minister and founder president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta made a comeback to AGP with regional parties uniting under the single largest Opposition party barely months before the general elections.

The general council of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) cleared the re-entry of Mahanta, after his expulsion in 2005 for 'anti-party activities', by passing the unification resolution with thunderous applause.

The several month long process for unification of all splinter groups and individuals who had either left or were expulsed but were founder-members of the AGP inched closer to a positive outcome, spelling danger for incumbent Congress ahead of the general elections.

The general council that met at a city auditorium here passed the resolution with thunderous applause, without even giving working president and convener of the unification committee Phani Bhusan Choudhury the opportunity to complete reading out the resolution.

The district committee members said that they had nothing to speak against the resolution, which was approved by the executive body yesterday, and approved it immediately.

The Mahanta-banters curiously maintained a silent front in today's meeting as in yesterday's executive meet, with AGP president Brindabon Goswami, known for his resistance to Mahanta's re-entry, also not opposing the unification bid in any manner.

Mahanta's re-entry was proving to be the only stumbling block, with students and youth organisations whose opinion was sought over the unification bid protesting the move to bring back Mahanta to the party fold.

Though no mention was made of Mahanta directly in the unification resolution, his splinter group AGP (Progressive) was among the three major parties that were welcomed back to the parent fold.

The other two parties are Atul Bora-led Trinamool Gana Parishad (TGP) and Pabindra Deka-led Purbanchalia Lok Parishad (PLP).

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