Guwahati, June 28: The people of Assam has inflicted serious blow to the Assam Gana Pa
risad.The AGP
crisis started its very poor performance in the recently concluded Guwahati
Municipality Election. A lot of hue and cry started following lot many leaders
resigning from the working committee and few packed to move to other party.
The AGP, a political party that was once held in high esteem, it was a party of
hope, a party of change and a party that would voice against illegal migrants, a
party of Assamese emotion, and a party that had come to existence after the 855
martyrs had sacrificed their lives during Assam agitation, a movement against
illegal migrants. It was in 1985 that after signing the Assam Accord between the
All Assam Students Union and Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime minister, the Assam Gana
Parishad came into limelight, and ruled the state for two terms as Prafulla Kumar
Mahanta as the Chief Minister.
The story of the AGP, is “so far but no so good and not good at all”, and
finally after the Guwahati Municipality Election, where the party got only one
councilor seat, against 11 by the BJP and 19 by the Congress in a total number
of 31 seats. In The number of 126 seats in Assembly the AGP has 10 seats that do
not qualify them for sitting in the opposition. Though things were in bad shape
since for some long time, the GMC election result came as a Tsunami for the Party,
as many party leaders resigned from various posts, some left the party for
alternative choice and other others watching and waiting for the moment to turn
their backs.
However others are still hoping for good against all odds. “ This
happens in Politics, take the example of the congress in west Bengal, they had to
wait for 30 long years to rule the state, see in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, there is
no Congress” Said Dr. Kamala Kalita in a recent Press conference in a AGP HQ, who
was once health minister during the AGP rule. However the media was took no time
to hit back at the leaders asking not to compare the AGP with other parties like
Congress, the only reason that the AGP was born in different circumstances which
was unique in the entire country. The party had the emotional support of the
Assamese people while the masses were hoping that the party will take all steps
against illegal migrants.
Gone are the days when people would talk about the AGP, dream about the
party about bring change and get emotional thinking about the Assam agitation, the
sacrifice of those hundreds of student leaders. The emotion of the Assam agitation
remained in the hearts of the Assamese but in contrast hatred began to grow for
the Party that was reflected in the GMC election results, last Assembly election
results and nothing magical can be expected in the forth coming Lok Sabah election.
Most party leaders and workers have complained about the leadership of
the party, sighting the example for the downfall of the party. Party leaders
giving less scope to the young generation, not building a second line of leaders
for the long run and so many other negative things that is only benefiting the
Congress.“We will bring change, and we are trying to bring young faces, you can
see the constructive change, we have given tickets to young people in the recently
concluded GMC election” said Durga Das Boro, General Secretary of the AGP. “As of
now we can’t say as to what new changes the party will work on, it will be
discussed in the party meeting” Boro adds. The AGP got a massive blow when
Sarbananda Sonowal, left the party and joined the BJP, and now he is president of
the state BJP. Sonowal was instrumental in getting repealed the controversy
IM(DT) by the supreme court while he was in the AGP, following this he was given
a hero’s welcome in the state in the year 2005. Very recently, Apurba
Bhattacharya, a young leader who was in charge of the Vice-President post of the
AGP, left for congress. The BJP said, it is all ready to welcome any AGP workers
to join the party including leaders.
“Why have you come to cover the news of a dead body, it is dead, The AGP is
dead” asked an emotional supporter. It wont be any surprise if more leaders choose
to join other political parties if rectification in the party remains still a
distant dream. In 2011 Assembly election, the panchayat election, and the GMC
election has turned away the voter’s sympathy from the AGP. Little time remains
for the party to win back the confidence of the voters before the party prepares
for the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Its now or never of the AGP. As for the leaders
holding high posts in the party should not dream of any overnight miracles to
happen that will bring the party to power, instead its time to begin from the
“scratch”.(SP News)
