The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), an ally of the ruling BJP in Assam, on Wednesday said it will contest in a few Lok Sabha seats next year in order to have representation in the Lower House.
Addressing a gathering on the eve of ‘Bihu’ festival, AGP president Atul Bora said the party will start a series of programmes across Assam to strengthen its organisational base.
"Along with that, we are also working on having our representative in the Lok Sabha to raise the issues affecting Assamese people in the national capital. The period after ‘Bihu’ is going to be crucial for us," he said.
Bora, who is also the agriculture minister of the state, said many new workers have joined the AGP in recent times and the need of the hour is to channelise their energy and enthusiasm.
"In the recent past, we have held worker meets at different Lok Sabha constituencies like Kaliabor, Mangaldoi, Tezpur and Nagaon. The next in line is Guwahati and two places in Barak Valley," he said.
Asked how many seats the party is looking to contest in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Bora said: "We will discuss with our alliance partner BJP and decide accordingly. We don't want to contest only for the sake of contesting when there is no chance of winning.”
AGP does not have any member in the Lok Sabha, while Birendra Prasad Baishya is its lone representative in the Rajya Sabha.
Published 12 April 2023, 13:42 IST