The Hindu : Other States / Assam News : Mahanta to be in regional politics

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Thursday, Jul 07, 2005

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Mahanta to be in regional politics

Special Correspondent

`Outside forces influencing Asom Gana Parishad'

Two MLAs receive Mahanta at airport Goswami dubbed a `traitor'

GUWAHATI: The former Assam Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who has been expelled from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), said on Wednesday that he would remain committed to regional politics but would announce his next course of action only after discussing with his followers and other colleagues in the party.

Mr. Mahanta, who returned from Delhi, accused the AGP leadership of dancing to the tunes of "outside forces", who he said, do not want the regional party to come back to power.

The former Chief Minister also said that he still believed that the AGP should remain united and join hands with secular non-Congress parties to dislodge the ruling Congress from power.

He was escorted from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bardoloi international airport on his arrival from Delhi, in a convoy of motorbikes and cars by his followers to Dispur.

Two of the four AGP legislators, whom the party had issued show cause notices — Utpal Dutta and Sahidul Alam Choudhury — were among those who had escorted him from the airport. But two other legislators — Gunin Hazarika and Bubul Das — were absent.

Apart from expelling Mr. Mahanta for his alleged anti-party activities, the AGP steering committee and central executive committee had decided to issue show cause notices to these four legislators for defying party whip and attending a convention organised by Mahanta loyalists.

The founder-president of the AGP, addressing his followers at a brief meeting held at Dispur, said the present leadership by expelling him from the party might have succeeded in "fulfilling their personal desire" but they would not be able to keep him away from regional politics forever.

Dares leadership

He also dared the leadership to make public his reply to the show cause notice served on him by the party.

As the convoy passed in front of the AGP headquarters at Ambari here, the supporters of party president Brindaban Goswami and Mr. Mahanta had almost clashed and were seen engaged in a verbal dual of slogan shouting.

Mahanta loyalists alleged that Goswami supporters had even provoked them by attacking the processionists who were escorting Mr. Mahanta.

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Mahanta to be in regional politics