AGP, BJP fail to iron out differences

Spl Correspondent
NEW DELHI, March 4 – AGP-BJP alliance negotiations has run into rough weather, following last minute differences over seat-sharing arrangements and the regional party’s refusal to join the NDA. First sign of trouble between the two parties became known, when BJP media cell sent urgent text messages to newsmen, hours before the joint press conference announcing the postpone. BJP big wigs like national president, Rajnath Singh, Opposition leader, LK Advani, besides AGP president, Chandra Mohan Patowary among others were to address the media this afternoon.

The visiting AGP delegation is scheduled to leave for Guwahati tomorrow, though there was a possibility of a late night discussion. The official reason cited was death of a close relative of Mission Ranjan Das, a BJP MLA.

According to Party insider, trouble began at a breakfast meeting hosted by the BJP national president at his House. The AGP leaders requested the BJP to postpone the joint press meet until resolution of the critical issues. The thorn on AGP’s side was parting of the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat without extracting a substantial deal.

Interestingly, the version offered by the two parties for the last hour hitch differed. AGP president, when contacted by this newspaper declined to reveal much.

AGP sources said that they have conveyed to BJP that the regional party cannot guarantee transfer of votes to BJP. The regional party also raised objections over nomination of Bijoya Chakravarty, as she had bad-mouthed the AGP MLAs in the past.

We have told them (BJP) that it should not expect the same MLAs to go and seek vote on behalf of Bijoya Chakravarty, said a leader, who was part of the delegation.

The last-minute posturing put the BJP Central leaders in a spot, because the electoral prospects of BJP’s two other candidates, Ramen Deka and GL Agarwala is not very promising, sources said.

The BJP leaders sought some time to discuss the issue with the State leadership. At today’s breakfast meeting, S S Ahluwalia and Sudanshu Mittal were other leaders of BJP who were present and none from the State leadership was present. Biren Baishya, Dr Arun Kumar Sarma, Phani Bhusan Choudhury, Padma Hazarika and Kumar Deepak Das accompanied AGP president.

The AGP has also sought to drive a hard bargain by demanding all the Assembly segments under the Constituency for itself in 2011 polls. The AGP leaders also wanted the understandings to be formalised in black and white. The BJP president conveyed that the decision has to be ratified by the State unit.

Apparent criticism by the rival Congress for sacrificing Guwahati seat rattled the AGP leadership, so much so that they decided to re-work their strategy. Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi ridiculed the Regional Party for hand of over Guwahati seat, considered its bastion, on a platter.

Meanwhile, the BJP had a different version. Party sources said they wanted AGP formally join the NDA. Though, of the leaders were agreeable, another section opposed it and that led to the deadlock.

Sources said the regional party has sought time to discuss the issue among themselves and convey their final decisions. AGP, has already rejected the proposal to join the NDA and only wanted the electoral pact to be limited to seat sharing arrangement. Assam Tribune