The results of the just held panchayat election in Assam has once again brought to the fore that all is not well within the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
The regional party which had earlier ruled the state for two terms and is currently an ally in the BJP-led coalition government in the state, has obviously failed to win confidence of the voters in the panchayat polls which has been virtually swept by the BJP while Congress has emerged second in the race.
The gap between the leadership of the regional party and its grassroots workers is one of the key reason for the party’s unimpressive show in panchayat polls. Moreover, the party is yet to replenish its cadre strength in the grassroots level which got eroded because of recent upsurge of the BJP in the state.
The party had a much wanted opportunity to back a strong come back to the centre stage of the state politics, but failed to make a big push while BJP has broken new grounds in panchayat level even though the saffron party contested panchayat election for the first time in the state.
The AGP obviously needs a new generation of leadership at its top rung as the people have obviously lost confidence in the current leadership who have been running the party since its inception in 1985.
The AGP did not have a strategy or a planned campaign and that resulted in its poor showing. Besides, many people in Assam are unhappy with the party as they have remained in the ruling coalition in spite of BJP’s support towards the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
The regional party has AGP has created a sense of delusion among the people by remaining in the government and only threatening to break ties if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was passed. Many people have stopped taking the party seriously because of their decision to stick with the BJP-led alliance despite glaring differences over the Citizenship Bill that is going to nullify the Assam Accord that gave birth to the AGP.
