Cong wipes AGP out in Assam
The ruling Asom Gana Parishad was wiped out as the Congress and its allies made a clean sweep in Assam, bagging 11 of the total 14 seats declared so far. Among the casualties: Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta's wife Jayshree Goswamy-Mahanta who was relegated to the third spot in Nowgong.
However, the AGP claimed the Congress had made a deal with the United Liberation Front of Asom to keep its supporters away from the polling booths.
The Congress swept the entire Brahmaputra valley for the first time in three decades, also picking one seat in Barak valley, and is fighting a tough battle with the BJP in Silchar.
The AGP claimed its backers, the caste Hindus in the rural areas, were not able to vote due to an ULFA boycott.
"We might have lost the election but we will continue to fight secessionism even at the cost of our party. The Congress's grand design with ULFA to disturb us during the polling and electioneering is now clearly evident," an AGP spokesman alleged.
The AGP leaders informally met this morning at the chief minister's home for an initial discussion about the poll debacle.
Asked about the possible resignation of Mahanta, accepting the moral responsibility for the defeat, the AGP spokesperson said Assam could not be equated with other states.
"We lost because of the Election Commission's refusal to hold the election in two phases. There were no security forces and the ULFA had terrorised known AGP supporters, even killed our activists. But we have established that we are committed to the land. It was not a free and fair election as voters were denied access to the polling station," the spokesperson said.
The Congress, however said it was a negative vote which gave them the advantage.
"It was because of the misrule of the AGP government and handling of the senitive issues of the state by the state government," said Pankaj Bora, the state Congress
spokesperson.
The BJP too made spectacular gains, coming second in as many as 11 seats and pushing the AGP into the background.
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