BJP shares seats with allies in Assam polls |
The Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party on 4th March reached a seat-sharing formula with allies from other political parties in Assam for the three-phase Assembly election that starts March 27. Sources said the BJP would contest 92 of the 126 seats in the Assam Assembly, with 26 going to the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and eight to the United People`s Party Liberal (UPPL). A local party will merge with the BJP and one or two candidates of that party will contest on the BJP symbol. Sources also said an initial list of 84 BJP candidates has been finalized, and that more details on seats and names of candidates are likely to be announced by 5th March. Meanwhile, sources within the AGP said two-time former Chief Minister and six-time MLA Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who is also the founder of the party, might not get a ticket this time. Mahanta is currently unwell and undergoing treatment in Delhi. However, he has fallen out with the current AGP leadership on the subject of the controversial citizenship law. The AGP might see a split if Mahanta is denied a ticket. In 2016 the BJP won 60 of the 84 seats it contested - a gain of 55 seats from its 2011 result. The AGP won 14 of 24 and the UPPL failed to win any of the four it fought. BJP`s Central Election Committee held a marathon meeting in Delhi under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to decide on a list of candidates for the first two phases of Bengal and Assam elections. Assam will vote in three phases - March 27, April 1, and April 6 - with results due on 2nd of May.
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