The Hindu : National : Mahanta backs unification of parties

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008
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National

Mahanta backs unification of parties

Special Correspondent

Guwahati: Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on Monday visited the headquarters of the Asom Gana Parishad nearly three years after his expulsion from the party and formally lent support of his party —AGP(Progressive) — to the process of unification of regional parties initiated by the AGP.

Emerging from a meeting with an 11-member committee of the AGP on unification, Mr. Mahanta, who led an eight-member delegation of the AGP (Progressive), told journalists that he was hopeful that the unification process would succeed.

The parties also issued a joint declaration signed by Mr. Mahanta and Phani Bhusan Choudhury, convenor of the AGP’s unification committee, in which they agreed to carry forward the unification process in the interest of a stronger regional party.

Happy with visit

They agreed with each other on a range of issues including the Assam Accord, foreigners’ problem, ethnic issues, the insurgency problem including the United Liberation Front of Asom .

Mr. Mahanta said that he was very happy to visit the AGP headquarters and meet his former colleagues. The former Chief Minister, however, declined to make any comment on the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU)’s stand that unification of regional parties should be minus Mr. Mahanta.

AASU’s stand

On whether AASU’s stand would pose any hurdle in the unification process, Mr. Choudhury, who is also the working president of the AGP, said that the party would discuss the views expressed by AASU while taking a final decision on unification.

Mr. Mahanta was expelled from the AGP on July 3, 2005 on charges of anti-party activities. The AGP was split for the third time when Mr. Mahanta and his followers formed a new regional outfit — AGP (Progressive) on September 14, 2005.

The AGP unification committee also held parleys with two other regional parties —Trinamool Gana Parishad (TGP) and the Prubanchaliya Loka Parishad (PLP) — on the unification process during which the three parties agreed to carry forward the unification process.

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