In Assam, BJP looks to AGP to oust Cong

A senior party functionary told The Indian Express: ‘‘We are inclined to join hands with the AGP.’’

The reason is simple. Of all the states going to polls next year, Assam is of key interest to the BJP. In other election-bound states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the BJP is only a fringe or at best a marginal player. Therefore, the party would try to put its best foot forward in the Northeastern state.

However, sources said the picture in the AGP camp is different. Far from being enthused, a sizeable section of the party’s rank and file is opposed to any electoral deal with the BJP. One, it has neither forgotten nor forgiven the BJP leadership for its overbearing attitude towards the AGP when it was down and out. A party leader recalled that BJP leaders would never invite the AGP to an NDA meeting because it had no representation in the last Lok Sabha. On the other hand, they would seldom forget to invite Rajiv Shukla, a lone member in the Rajya Sabha.

Another leader said BJP president L.K. Advani tried to promote former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, ignoring the tide against him within the AGP as also the official set-up under party chief Brindaban Goswami. The intention of the BJP to grab space from the AGP is no secret. It is the AGP’s own resilience, which enabled it to win two of the 14 Lok Sabha seats from Assam on its own. The BJP, its grandiose plans notwithstanding, also got only two.

Sources in the AGP say that many in the party are sceptical about an alliance with the BJP working to its advantage. They argue the party is bound to lose the whopping 35 per cent Muslim vote in case of a tie-up with the BJP. The AGP has had a strong base among Assamese Muslims, who would shift to the Congress en bloc to keep the BJP away from power. They point out that the AGP was voted to power in 1996 when it had aligned with the Left. As many as 11 Muslims were elected to the Assembly on AGP tickets. ‘‘We can repeat this performance if we join hands with Left parties,’’ he said.

However, there has been a significant development in the AGP — Goswami and Mahanta have made up and come together on a public platform. Mahanta may try to tilt the scales in favour of the BJP. If this does not happen, it may be the AGP’s turn to spurn the BJP.