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AGP releases first list of nominees

The ruling Asom Gana Parishad Monday released its first list of candidates for 54 assembly constituencies who would contest the May 10 assembly election in Assam.

The party would contest 79 seats, and leave 44 for the Bharatiya Janata Party, party president and Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta told reporters in Guwahati.

Mahanta said there would be friendly contests with the BJP in ten seats while the All Bodo Students Union would support AGP candidates in 24 seats. In turn, seven ABSU-backed candidates in lower Assam would be supported by the AGP.

Prominent in Monday's list were Mahanta himself from Bahrampur, agriculture minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, Dharmapur, rural development minister Saidul Alam Choudhury, Algapur, revenue minister Zoii Nath Sarma, Sipajhar and Biraj Kumar Sarma from Guwahati (East).

The chief minister said the second and final list of candidates would be declared soon.

Asked to comment on the reported resentment in the BJP regarding the friendly contests, Mahanta said it was very much in the agreement.

Asked whether minister Rajendra Mushahary, who is accused in a rape case, would be nominated, Mahanta said the matter was sub judice.

On the reported letter of the National Human Rights Commission asking him not to include Mushahary in his cabinet, Mahanta shot back, "The commission had no right to direct me whom to include in my cabinet."

Meanwhile, the Samata Party said it would contest 24 assembly seats in Assam, and appealed to both AGP and BJP to support their candidates.

"The party appeals to BJP and the AGP to support candidates as the Samata has the best chance of winning the seats," party general secretary S S Srivastav told reporters. The Samata had decided to go alone in the forthcoming polls.

He said it was "unfortunate" that the BJP, a partner in the NDA, did not support the Samata Party.

"The main objective of the party will be to defeat the Congress as it is considered the root cause of all problems faced by Assam," Srivastav said.

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