<p>Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Assam's two-time chief minister, today returned as president of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) after a hiatus of nearly 11 years.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Mahanta, the AGP founder president defeated firebrand fellow MLA Padma Hazarika by 37 votes in a closely fought election during the day.<br /><br />Mahanta secured 211 votes in the polls held today here at the AGP headquarters here while Hazarika bagged 174 votes, party spokesman Kamala Kalita told reporters here.<br /><br />AGP's serving president Chandra Mohan Patowary had opted out of the fray citing lack of consensus.<br /><br />Atul Bora(Junior), considered close to Hazarika, was elected working president of the party defeating Rajya Sabha MP Kumar Dipak Das, who was backed by Mahanta.<br /><br />Bora secured 225 votes as against 157 votes by Das.<br /><br />This is the first time that AGP is holding comprehensive organisational elections at all levels following recommendations of a panel headed by senior party leader Hitendranath Goswami.<br /><br />Mahanta, who was president of All Assam Students Union during the 1979-85 anti-foreigners agitation, had formed AGP along with his colleagues of the student body and signed the Assam Pact with the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.<br /><br />Following it he had led AGP to a historic victory in the 1985 Assam assembly polls and became the youngest chief minister in the country at the age of 34.<br /><br />He had served as chief minister from 1985 to 1990 and was leader of the opposition from 1991 to 1996 when the state was ruled by the Congress. <br /><br />Mahanta donned the mantle of the chief minister for a second time from 1996 to 2001 when the party made a comeback in 1996 as part of a five party alliance.</p>
<p>Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Assam's two-time chief minister, today returned as president of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) after a hiatus of nearly 11 years.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Mahanta, the AGP founder president defeated firebrand fellow MLA Padma Hazarika by 37 votes in a closely fought election during the day.<br /><br />Mahanta secured 211 votes in the polls held today here at the AGP headquarters here while Hazarika bagged 174 votes, party spokesman Kamala Kalita told reporters here.<br /><br />AGP's serving president Chandra Mohan Patowary had opted out of the fray citing lack of consensus.<br /><br />Atul Bora(Junior), considered close to Hazarika, was elected working president of the party defeating Rajya Sabha MP Kumar Dipak Das, who was backed by Mahanta.<br /><br />Bora secured 225 votes as against 157 votes by Das.<br /><br />This is the first time that AGP is holding comprehensive organisational elections at all levels following recommendations of a panel headed by senior party leader Hitendranath Goswami.<br /><br />Mahanta, who was president of All Assam Students Union during the 1979-85 anti-foreigners agitation, had formed AGP along with his colleagues of the student body and signed the Assam Pact with the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.<br /><br />Following it he had led AGP to a historic victory in the 1985 Assam assembly polls and became the youngest chief minister in the country at the age of 34.<br /><br />He had served as chief minister from 1985 to 1990 and was leader of the opposition from 1991 to 1996 when the state was ruled by the Congress. <br /><br />Mahanta donned the mantle of the chief minister for a second time from 1996 to 2001 when the party made a comeback in 1996 as part of a five party alliance.</p>