Ahead of the Panchayat election in the State, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which is one of the partners of the coalition Government in Assam, has geared up to strengthen the party by introducing new faces in it.
A number of new faces including former general secretary of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Kishor Hazarika, joined the AGP during a programme at the party head headquarters in Guwahati on Monday.
Addressing the media persons, AGP president and Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, while welcoming the new party leaders, said, “It is indeed a great moment for us that people are now heading towards the regional political parties. There is a need of strong regional political parties in Assam to protect the ‘Jati, Mati, Bheti’. No party can protect the ‘Jati, Mati, Bheti’ of the State except regional political parties.”
Recalling the bad days that the AGP had faced in the State politics, Bora said, “The decision of the AGP to contest the 2016 Assembly election by making alliance with BJP was the need of the hour. But now, the situation is different. People in the Barak Valley have also started to accept the AGP. We have received good response in Dima Hasao district also.”
Emphasising the need to strengthen regionalism for the greater interest of the indigenous people of the State, Bora said, “Introduction of more and more new faces in the party would make the party more strong and that would strengthen regionalism, which is an integral part in democracy.”
Talking on the preparation for the upcoming Panchayat elections and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Atul Bora said, “We will focus more on the areas where the party already has a base and need not to start from zero.”
Kishor Hazarika, while interacting with media persons after joining the AGP, said, “The State would face an uncertain future in the hands of the national political parties. It is high time to strengthen the regional political parties for the greater interest of the indigenous people.”
Former general secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Dharmapur Block Committee, Mridul Hazarika, international Kung-fu player Dharmeswar Haloi, former central committee executive member of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) Chandan Haloi, producer of Jahnabi Mobile Theatre Dimbeswar Kalita along with other Congress and BJP workers from Dharmapur and Nalbari Assembly constituencies joined the AGP.