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Guwahati, Oct 13 (UNI) The Opposition Asom Gana Parishad today kicked off its "Sankalp Yatra", ceremonially beginning the process of unification of all regional forces of Assam.
The march (yatra) to Golaghat, about 320 kms from Guwahati, was flagged off by AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary as a motorcade chugged off for destination where many splinter groups of the AGP are exected to reunite.
" Tomorrow is the day of the beginning new regionalism in Assam as well as Northeast India. Tomorrow is also the beginning of the end of long misrule the of Congress. We are determined to throw out the Congress", said Patowary, an architect for a unification of the AGP's splinter groups.
Barely three kms away, his former boss and ex-Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta also took the same pledge as he was about to dissolve his AGP(P).
Besides the AGP(P), the Trinamool Gana Parishad and Purbanchlaiya Lok Parishad will also merge to the AGP.
" Let us forget the past and reunite us as we did 23 years ago on the same day in Golaghat to give birth to the AGP and" said Atula Bora, the TGP supremo, who walked away from the AGP in 2000, which ensured repeated thrashing of the party in all elections since then.
The AGP has brought a new wave in the opposition parties in recent time to fight ruling Congress party.
" Do not worry. They are uniting again only to disintegrate. They had past history and will repeat the same. Congress is for development and hence repeatedly we are being elected", said state minster, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, a close associate of chief minister Tarun Gogoi and government spokesman.
The AGP had three major split. First in 1991, second split was in 2000 and in 2005.
The reunification process began in 2006 despite intra party opposition and protest from the All Assam Student Union (AASU).
"All have been resolved now and we appeal to AASU to join hands with us to throw out Congress from Assam", said AGP working president Phani Bhusan Chouhdury asserting that they would never go for confrontation with with the student body.
The AASU was opposing the re-entry of Mr Mahanta as it accuse the former minister of being involved in secret killing and was responsible for non-implementation of the Assam Accord.
Mr Mahanta today assured that after the unification of the AGP, his priority would be to correct the picture. "It has been proved by commission that I was not involved in the killings and the Assam Accord implementation would be done earnestly", Mahanta told reporters.
Meanwhile, hectic activities were going at Golghat where huge congregation was expected for AGP's meeting.
The AGP has finalised tie up with the BJP for the Lok Sabha poll and now was trying to have a truck with United Democratic Front (AUDF) to make the anti-Congress movement stronger.
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