Mahanta defends alliance with BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI, APRIL 5. The Assam Chief Minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president, Mr. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, today defended his party's alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying the decision had been taken to secure a better deal and greater financial assistance for the State from the Centre.

Addressing mediapersons at the party office, Mr. Mahanta targeted the Congress for criticizing him for the alliance.

Asking the Congress to ``look at its own face in the mirror'', he said, ``If the Congress can make an electoral alliance with the AIADMK, which has entered into an alliance in Pondicherry with the PMK, which is a political ally of the LTTE, which is solely responsible for Rajiv Gandhi's murder, then what is wrong in our making a poll alliance with the BJP ?'' The AGP had not joined the BJP but had made only a poll alliance with it and the BJP could not in any way influence the AGP ideologically.

The National Conference of Jammu and Kashmir had also made a poll alliance with the BJP and had joined the NDA Government without being ideologically influenced by the BJP, Mr. Mahanta said.

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Section  : Other States
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