Guwahati, Oct 14, 2024, IANS

Guwahati, Oct 14 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma greeted NDA ally and partner in the state government Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on its 40th foundation day. In an X post on Monday, CM Sarma wrote, “Today, on the 40th Foundation Day of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), I extend my greetings and best wishes to all its leaders and workers. AGP traces its origins to fulfilling the aspirations of our people and has always been at the forefront of serving society. Our alliance has withstood the test of times and is bound by common values, principles and a shared vision for a prosperous and stronger Assam.” Following the momentous Assam Accord of 1985, the AGP was formally established at the Golaghat Convention, which took place in Golaghat from October 13 to 14, 1985. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Assam’s youngest chief minister, was chosen as the party's leader during this convention. The AGP formed governments twice: one in 1985 and another in 1996. AGP's popularity peaked in the late 1980s but fell in the 2000s. Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta formed the Asom Gana Parishad (Progressive) after the party split in 2005. However, on October 14, 2008, he merged the party with the AGP in Golaghat. AGP won 14 seats out of 126 in the 2016 Assam Legislative Assembly Elections, coming to power after a long gap. It formed an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the party is a part of NDA. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the AGP won a Lok Sabha seat after a 20-year hiatus with senior leader Phani Bhusan Choudhury being elected from Barpeta in the Lower House of Parliament. The party contested in two parliamentary constituencies in the state, however, it lost polls in Dhubri to Congress candidate Rakibul Hussain. Choudhury was a six-time MLA from the Bongaigaon Assembly segment. When AGP fielded him in the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat to fight parliamentary elections, supporters of Choudhury opposed the party’s decision and urged Choudhury to remain the MLA of Bongaigaon.