BJP, AGP & UPPL: Seat-sharing formula for State polls sealed in Delhi

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The seat-sharing arrangement among the BJP-AGP-UPPL to contest the ensuing Assembly elections in Assam was sealed on Thursday after marathon meetings by the top leaders of the BJP in New Delhi.

The formal announcement about the seat sharing will be made in New Delhi on Friday. Confirming the development, Assam BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass said that the formally announcement would be made jointly by the leaders of BJP-AGP-UPPL on Friday.

He, however, said that finalization of the BJP's list of candidates will take place during the meeting of the party's Central Election Committee. The meeting will take place on Thursday night.

"On the basis of surveys and report cards of different sitting MLAs, the State BJP has submitted a list of probable candidates to the central leadership. The same exercise was done by the central BJP leadership. So, the final decision will be taken by the Central Election Committee," pointed out Dass.

Since Wednesday, Union Home Minister and top BJP leader Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda held marathon meetings in New Delhi with the leaders of Assam BJP, AGP and UPPL to work out the seat-sharing arrangement for the ensuing Assembly elections in the State.

Before leaving for New Delhi, Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday told reporters in the city that both parties (BJP-AGP) will have to adopt a give-and-take policy. He also hinted that the AGP would be able to field the same number of candidates in 2021 elections that the party did in 2016.

Sources said the BJP wants to replace its candidates in six constituencies where the AGP has now sitting MLAs. The BJP will leave four constituencies (where the party has sitting MLAs) to the AGP, said the source.

The Central Election Committee is likely to discuss the party candidates for 86 seats in the State where polls will be held in the first two phases on March 27 and April 1. Voting for Assam Assembly polls will be held in three phases. The third and last phase of voting will held on April 6. Counting of votes will take place on May 2.

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