Assam Polls: AGP announces list of 24 candidates

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Thursday announced its list of 24 candidates that the regional party will field in the forthcoming elections to the Assam legislative assembly.

The party, that was in power in the state for two terms, is going to the polls along with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this time. The state will go to polls in two phases on April 4 and 11.

The AGP's first list includes the names of two-time former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and former education minister Brindaban Goswami.

While Mahanta will contest from his home turf Barhampur, Goswami will contest from his home constituency Tezpur.

Former Minister and AGP leader Kamala Kalita will contest from Chaygaon constituency while party president Atul Bora will contest from Bokakhat constituency.

"Under the present political circumstances, it is not possible to contest the polls on our own this time. So we have decided to go for an alliance with the BJP to prevent the Congress from coming to power once again," said AGP president Atul Bora while announcing the list at the party headquarters here.

"People of Assam have been craving for a change after three terms of misrule under the Congress government. We thought we could become an alternative to the Congress by having an alliance with the BJP. I am sure we are going to win in most of the 24 seats in the forthcoming polls," said Bora.

The others in the list include Repupama Rajkhowa (Teok), Naren Sonowal (Nahorkotia), Phanibhushan Chowdhury (Bongaigaon), Binod Goala (Sarupathar), Pradip Hazarika (Aamguri), Bhupen Roy (South Abhayapuri), Rabin Banikya (North Abhayapuri), Gunin Das (Barpeta), Keshab Mahanta (Kaliabor), Bhaben Bharali (Dergaon), Jyotiprasad Das (Boko), Pabindra Deka (Patacharkuchi), Ramendra Narayan Kalita (West Guwahati), Ali Azam Seikh (Bilasipara west), Utpal Dutta (Lakhimpur), Satyabrata Kalita (Kamalpur), Mukundaram Chowdhury (Kalaigaon), Ziauddin Ahamed (Jamunamukh), Ranjit Deka (Lahorighat), and Prabin Hazarika (Biswanath Chariali).