AGP to fight on 24 seats in alliance with BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Thursday officially announced an electoral alliance and also reached an agreement over seat sharing.

As per the agreement the AGP will contest on 24 seats of the 126-member assembly, leaving 102 seats for the BJP and other alliance partners like the Bodo Peoples Front (BPF), the Rabhas and the Tiwas.

The announcement was made by union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in presence of party's chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal, party leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, and AGP chief Atul Bora.

"To bring change in Assam and give good governance to the people, we have decided to come together," Prasad told reporters here at a press conference.

He also said that there will be two major issues on which the BJP and its alliance partners would bank.

"To oust the corrupt Tarun Gogoi government from the power and infiltration will be two major issues of the alliance in the upcoming election," he said.

Bora said the deal was sealed after a marathon meeting with BJP leaders.

"The anti-incumbancy factor is very strong. We are sure of forming the next government," he said.

Prasad also announced the 24 assembly seats which were given to AGP.