The Hindu : NCP in a fix in Assam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 16, 2004

National

National

NCP in a fix in Assam

By Barun Das Gupta

GUWAHATI, MARCH 15. Even as the Assam unit of the Nationalist Congress Party disowned P.A. Sangma today and decided to identify itself with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, the party may not be able to field any candidate in the coming Lok Sabha elections in the State.

The party spokesman, Dilip Hazarika, and senior leader, Sarat Chandra Sinha, said they had decided to continue in the Pawar-led group for the time being. The district committees would be asked to send their opinion on the future course of action.

Mr. Hazarika said they could not accept Mr. Sangma's decision to merge the party with the Trinamool Congress and fight the elections under the Trinamool's symbol. "Mr. Sangma's decision has put us in great difficulty. We may not be able to put up any candidate this time because of the fluid situation," Mr. Sinha said.

Mr. Hazarika admitted that the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) had sent feelers to the State unit president, Bhrigu Phukan, who was the Home Minister in the first AGP Government (1985-90) to return to the AGP and contest the polls as an AGP candidate. But Mr. Phukan has rejected the offer. Meanwhile, having failed in its bid to forge an alliance with the BJP, the AGP today announced the names of its candidates for four of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam.

They are: Sarbananda Sonowal (Dibrugarh), Afzalur Rahman (Dhubri), Keshab Mahanta (Kaliabor) and Arun Sharma (Lakhimpur). Candidates for seven other constituencies will be announced on March 18 and for the remaining three on March 20.

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