AGP leaders talk alliance with BJP

AGP leaders talk alliance with BJP

NISHIT DHOLABHAI

New Delhi, June 14: AGP legislators Chandramohan Patowary and Padma Hazarika met BJP president Rajnath Singh here today, ostensibly to work out the modalities of an alliance between the parties.

“It was a courtesy call,” said Patowary after over an hour of talks with Singh.
The two legislators met other senior BJP leaders later in the evening. BJP sources were tight-lipped about what transpired in the meeting, but did not rule out an alliance with the regional party.

AGP is part of the United National Progressive Alliance, comprising the Samajwadi Party and other smaller parties who, only a couple of months ago, wanted a third front to counter the BJP and the Congress.

For the BJP, it is a step ahead in breaking the UNPA and adding strength in Assam where it has not been able to make a dent into the Congress strongholds.

At present, the AGP and BJP have only two MPs each in the Lok Sabha from Assam.
The meeting comes at a time when talks are on for AGP’s merger with the party’s splinter groups, including the AGP (Pragatisheel).

AGP(P) leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has been camping in the same building as the two AGP leaders, but was absent from the meeting with the BJP leader.

Sources said Mahanta had met BJP leaders a month ago for the same reason. “We are yet to finalise,” Mahanta said. Source: telegraphindia