Former Assam CM Prafulla Mahanta admitted to hospital

Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has been admitted to a hospital here following blood pressure issues, a senior AGP leader said on Saturday.

The 67-year-old Mahanta was admitted to a private hospital late on Friday night from where he was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of another hospital, said the Asom Gana Parishad leader.

Quoting Mahanta's son, the party leader said the two- time former chief minister was stable and his health parameters showed no cause for concern on Saturday.

Mahanta was the president of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) that had spearheaded the six-year long Assam Movement from 1979 against illegal foreigners in Assam.

At the culmination of the agitation in 1985 with the signing of the historic Assam Accord by the AASU, Central and Assam governments in the presence of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the student leaders formed the Asom Gana Parishad with Mahanta as its president.

Riding on the crest of the mass support to the Assam Agitation, the AGP contested the assembly elections in 1985 and wrested power from Congress and Mahanta was sworn in as the chief minister for the first time.

The regional party again won the elections in 1996 defeating Congress and Mahanta once again became chief minister of the state for the second time.