From a Correspondent
DHEMAJI, March 22: The AGP grassroots workers are not happy with the decision of the central committee of having an alliance with the BJP for the Dhemaji by-poll to be held on April 9.
After submission of nomition papers by Dr. Ranuj Pegu as the BJP candidate supported by AGP, many AGP grassroots workers expressed their resentment at surrendering before the BJP. They said that Dhemaji was a stronghold of AGP where Dilip Saikia Sonowal had won four times as AGP candidate. They were determined that they would be able to regain their seat once again. Dhemaji AGP leaders decided to field Dr Paramanda Sonowal as their candidate and they were confident that this time their plea would be accepted by the BJP and the BJP would support them. But the late night meeting before the nomition submission changed everything and the AGP central committee decided to extend support to Dr Pegu and not field their candidate separately.
A lot of speculations are going on among the AGP workers at the abrupt change of attitude of the Dhemaji AGP leaders. The State AGP president and minister Atul Borah had accompanied Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal at the time of submission of nomition papers of Dr Ranuj Pegu as BJP candidate. The AGP well-wishers of Dhemaji said that Dr. Pegu was a strong politician who founded a strong regiol party Ga Shakti and was committed to do everything for the welfare and development of the Mishing community. Dr Pegu was Chief Executive Member of the Mishing Autonomous Council. After joining the BJP, a large fraction of Mishing people fear that there is every threat of their rich culture and heritage being eroded. Ga Shakti was the only Mishing organization which had a separate platform for raising their voice. But if the other Mishing leaders of Ga Shakti like MLA Bhuban Pegu and Parama Chayengia, chairman of MAC, are saffronized then there will be no regiol party and they have to follow the agenda of BJP which may not be acceptable to them. Dr. Pegu once raised his strong voice against the NHPC project and accordingly he could mobilize the Mishing people to voice protest against the dam. But now people are wondering how Dr. Pegu will approach the Mishing people to seek their votes.
Though Dhemaji AGP workers are showing their support for Dr. Pegu, in reality most of them are not happy at the imposition of Dr Pegu, who joined the BJP few days ago, in their constituency. Many AGP workers opined that if Dr Pegu won the election, Dhemaji would become his constituency and AGP would not be able to field their candidate from Dhemaji in the near future.
Everything depends on Dr Pegu, how he will convince the people. But as there is still a strong wave of BJP, Dr. Ranuj Pegu might win the election and perhaps he will be followed by Bhuban Pegu and Parama Chayengia soon, said a senior Ga Shakti worker.