BJP, AGP on pre-poll tie-up in Assam

ew Delhi, Mar 5: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, Mar 5 announced a pre-poll tie-up with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) for upcoming general elections. BJP President Rajnath Singh said, "BJP would contest eight seats from Assam, while the AGP would try its luck in the rest of the six seats."

BJP prime ministerial candidate LK Advani, Sharad Yadav, Shushma Swaraj and AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary were also present at the press conference. Party sources, however, hinted at serious differences between the two parties over the Guwahati parliamentary seat.

A senior AGP leader said that the party has decided to leave the Guwahati seat to the BJP, but the party has demanded to field any candidate other than BJP's national vice president Bijoya Chakraborty from the Guwahati seat. BJP, however, was sticking to field Bijoya as its candidate.

During the 2001 assembly elections, the AGP-BJP suffered a defeat from the Congress party. Then, the leaders of both the parties accused each other of betrayal and sabotage.

ANI