Assam assembly elections: BJP likely to contest 92 seats, AGP 26
Details of the seat-sharing deal were expected to be announced in Delhi later on Friday. United Peoples Party Liberal and Gana Suraksha Party are likely to get seven and one seats as part of the deal
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam is expected to contest 92 of the 126 assembly seats and leave the rest for its allies including Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which is likely to get 26, people aware of the matter said. A seat-sharing formula was decided in Delhi after several rounds of meetings over two days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah were also part of the deliberations on Thursday.
Details of the seat-sharing deal were expected to be announced in Delhi later on Friday. United Peoples Party Liberal and Gana Suraksha Party are likely to get seven and one seats as part of the deal.
As reported earlier by HT on Wednesday, former chief minister and AGP founder Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is likely to be denied a ticket from Barhampur that he has represented since 1991.
Mahanta is undergoing treatment in Delhi and his seat could be given to a BJP candidate. There is speculation that Mahanta might split the party and field around 15 candidates.
In 2016, the BJP had fielded 84 candidates and won 60 seats. The AGP contested 24 seats and won 14. Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF), which has now switched to the Congress-led alliance, won 12 of the 16 seats it contested.
Elections in Assam will be held in three phases on March 27, April 1, and April 6.
The Congress-led alliance, which includes BPF, All India United Democratic Front, three Left parties, and another regional alliance of Assam Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal are also expected to announce their seat-sharing agreements on Friday or Saturday.