BJP blames AGP for poor turnout at PM's rally

By Barun Das Gupta

GUWAHATI, MAY 8. It was a deliberate sabotage by the AGP. That is why there was such a poor turnout for Vajpayeeji's meeting at the Judges' Field last Saturday, the Assam unit BJP president, Mr. Rajen Gohain, said today.

He was talking to reporters, minutes before he shared the dais with the Chief Minister, Mr. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, and other AGP leaders at the Engineering Institute field.

Today's meeting was organised at the instance of Mr. Vajpayee. Irritated by the poor turnout at Saturday's meeting, the Prime Minister, it is learnt, is said to have told State BJP leaders to organise a bigger meeting as soon as possible.

Unfortunately for the AGP-BJP combine, today's meeting proved to be a bigger flop. Only six to seven hundred people, mostly women, turned up. The star attraction for the women was the Union Minister, Ms. Sushma Swaraj.

Mr. Gohain said that the BJP was ``sure'' to win 19 seats and the ruling AGP 15 to 20.

If Mr. Gohain is proved right, the AGP and the BJP are likely to remain united in the opposition benches. In the unlikely event of the two parties forming the government, there is no doubt the coalition will come under severe strain from day one.

Indications of strain in ties was evident at today's meeting. A former president of the State BJP, Mr. Indramoni Bora, said that he and Mr. Gohain were against the AGP-BJP alliance.

In contrast, Mr. Atul Bora, president of the breakaway Trinamool AGP, today took out a massive procession in Dispur, where he is locking horns with the Chief Minister, Mr. Mahanta.

Equally impressive was the huge Congress procession in support of Mr. Pankaj Bora at Guwahati (East). Mr. Bora is challenging the Municipal Affairs Minister, Mr. Biraj Sharma.

`ULFA unleashing war'

PTI reports:

The Assam Governor, Lt. Gen. (retd) S.K. Sinha, today accused the ULFA of unleashing a war to derail the democratic process of election in the State.

``The ULFA militants have unleashed a war against democracy and their aim is to derail the democratic process,'' Lt. Gen. Sinha said here.

``Our brave people must fight this war to defend democracy as taught by our great Saint Mahapurush Srimanta Shankardev,'' the Governor said in an appeal to the people.

``I appeal to all voters to fearlessly come out on May 10 to exercise their franchise and vote for the candidate of their choice,'' he said.

He said a massive deployment of security forces all over the State with aerial surveillance by helicopter will provide them maximum possible security.

``Every vote cast will be a vote against violence and terrorism and a vote for democracy and peace and this will be a fitting reply to the militants,'' the Governor said.

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Section  : State Elections
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