AGP gheraoes ONGC’s Nazira HQ

GUWAHATI, Feb 8 – The regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today gheraoed the Nazira headquarters of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGCL) for two hours in protest against the reported move of the Union Petroleum Ministry to develop the Corporation’s Assam Asset into a subsidiary company.

According to AGP chief spokesman Atul Bora, party’s steering committee and central executive committee members took part in the programme. They also held an on-the-spot protest meeting denouncing the said move of the Union Petroleum Ministry.

The meeting was addressed by party president Chandra Mohan Patowary, former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, former MP Sarbananda Sonowal, former Ministers Hitendranath Goswami and Hiranya Konwar, former Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly Renupama Rajkhowa, former MLA Hemanta Kalita, party’s chief spokesman Atul Bora and Asam Yuba Parishad’s Monoj Bora. All of them decried the move ofthe Union Government as an anti-Assam step.

ONGCL Executive Director PVS Rao accepted the memorandum submitted by the party and told the AGP leaders that the Board of the Corporation was yet to take any decision into that effect. He also told the AGP leaders that the copy of their memorandum would be sent to UnionPetroleum Minister Murli Dewra through the ONGCL Chairman.

The steering committee of the party has meanwhile decided to send a delegation of the party under the leadership of its president Chandra Mohan Patowary to meet the Prime Minister and the Union Petroleum Minister on the issue within the next 15 days.

Rajya Sabha elections: The steering committee of the regional party which met at Jorhat last night, also decided to form a three-member panel of the party to hold discussion with the Opposition political parties of the State the issue of fielding candidates for the ensuing Rajya Sabha elections for the two seats belonging to the State.

The committee will be headed by party working president Phani Bhusan Choudhury. It will try to muster support to the AGP candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for the next month. The committee is expected to complete its discussions with the other Opposition parties within a short time.

The next meeting of the party’s steering committee is scheduled for February 14 at Biswanath Chariali and it is to be followed by a janajagaran sabha rally at Gohpur on February 15, said Bora.

Soruce:http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=feb0910

AGP opposes Photo I-cards sans NRC

Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Jan 21 – Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today opposed any move to issue photo-identity cards to the citizens without completing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) updating process. The AGP executive committee in its meeting held at the Ambari headquarters of the party, observed that the bids to issue photo-identity cards to the citizens without completing the NRC updating process was contrary to a verdict of the Supreme Court.It alleged that the Congress has been keeping the issue of foreign nationals alive for sake of keeping its (Congress) vote bank intact. Resenting the recent comment of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that there are more foreign nationals in other parts of the country compared to Assam, the AGP executive committee said in a resolution that future of Assam was not safe in the hands of such a Chief Minister who wants to belittle the State’s foreigners’ issue.It described the failure of both the State and Central Governments to complete the NRC updating process within 2008 as per their assurances, as a deceit on the people and made an appeal to the people to register their protest against the lethargy of the Governments in this connection. The AGP executive committee in a resolution, demanded firm steps from the Central Government to seal the Indo-Bangla border in eastern and North East part of the country in line with the steps taken to seal the western border of the country with Pakistan.Criticising the silence of the State Government on the issue of determining the state’s borders with its neighbouring states, the meeting called for firm steps to ensure the security of the life and property of the people living in the border areas. Describing the delay in solving the insurgency problem as a product of the lack of political will of the Tarun Gogoi led Government, the meeting , which was also attended by former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and several other former Ministers, called for steps to resolve the issue through negotiations with the militant groups instead of effecting splits within these organizations. The party demanded steps to redress the grievances of the six ethnic groups, which have been demanding ST status. It resented the local tax imposed on the petroleum products by the State Government, which has added to the burdens of the people. It also ridiculed the decision of the Congress to make development a plank in the next Lok Sabha elections. The meeting formed four committees to look into the Lok Sabha elections preparations including one to prepare a charge sheet against the Congress Government. SOURCE: ASSAM TRIBUNE

AGP, BJP finalise poll pact on 4 LS seats

Staff reporter GUWAHATI, Jan 3 – The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today arrived at sharing of four of 14 seats for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls and further discussions on electoral understanding will resume only after the Magh Bihu festival. The office bearers of both the parties met in the State Assembly premises to discuss seat sharing for the Parliamentary elections and decided that the existing seats of both the parties would be retained. The AGP has its Members of Parliament in Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh constituencies, while, the BJP has Nagaon and Mangaldoi seats. AGP spokesman Apurba Bhattacharya said that the AGP would field its existing MPs-Sarbananda Sonowal in Dibrugarh and Dr Arun Sarma in Lakhimpur. It is up to the leadership of the BJP to decide the candidates of the party.Bhattacharya said that the discussions would resume only after the Magh Bihu and a final shape to the seat sharing arrangement is likely to be given by the end of this month. He said that both the parties today decided to hold meetings with the district committees to ensure smooth coordination between the grass root level workers of the parties in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls. The parties also decided to hold talks with the Assembly constituency level committees to improve coordination between the workers of the AGP and BJP to ensure that the anti-Congress votes are not divided, he added. source: assam tribune

No compromise on Silchar seat: Rajnath Singh (BJP president)

No compromise on Silchar seat: Rajnath Singh (BJP president)

AGP-BJP alliance depends on key seats NEW DELHI, June 14: AGP and BJP have taken a step forward towards an understanding in the coming Lok Sabha election. AGP Legislature Party (AGPLP) leader Chandra Mohan Patowary and Gunin Hazarika had an informal meeting with BJP’s national president Rajnath Singh at the latter’s residence in New Delhi today. BJP leader Sushma Swaraj was also present at the meeting.After an hour-long meeting that began at 10.30 am, the two AGP leaders told newsmen waiting outside that the meeting was cordial. Patowary said: “We came to New Delhi following an invitation from the national president of the BJP. The alliance between the two parties has not been finalized as yet. We need to meet more to sort out the issues.”The BJP president, on the other hand, said: “We have initiated preliminary talks for poll tie-up. We need to sit more. We want a pre-poll understanding with the AGP so as to oust the Congress.”According BJP sources, the two AGP leaders set somepreconditions. “However, Rajnath Singh has made them clear in no uncertain term that the BJP won’t compromise on Silchar, Karimganj, Guwahati, Nagaon and Tezpur Lok Sabha seats. The other seats in the State are, however, open for negotiation,” the sources said......more Source: sentinel assam http://borakvalley.blogspot.com/

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