Mahanta: Support galore

Nagaon, April 26: The People’s Alliance for Peace Agreement (PAPA) today made it clear that it was in favour of a non-Congress government in Dispur.

The organisation’s leadership said it would prefer an AGP-led government. “Our next choice might be different as we plan to be a part of the government on two different issues that we have already chalked out,” said a source from the organisation.

The platform of political and non political organisations of Karbi Anglong finalised their two conditions — an inquiry into all the funds to the district which the Congress-led autonomous council spent during the last 10 years and an honourable solution to the decades-long problem of militancy in the hill district.

Two influential political parties of the hill district — the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) and CPI (M-L) — supported the organisation and instead of separate candidates, both parties supported the organisation-backed Independent candidates in the recent Assembly elections.

Three ASDC leaders — sitting legislator Jagat Singh Engti from Bokajan, president Somang Kro from Hauraghat and founder leader Jotson Bey from Boithlangsu — contested as the organisation-backed candidates.

The organisation leadership today said all the candidates would come out with a higher margin this time and make Karbi Anglong a Congress-free district.

The ASDC had given moral support to the AGP-led non-Congress government in 1996.

“We cannot call the AGP a like-minded party, as it is against the decades-long struggle for an autonomous state. However, our preference towards it is for the sake of a non-Congress government in the state. The party we support must agree to our two conditions on principle and execute it during the term of the government,” said ASDC leader and organisation chief Elvin Teron.

For the last two terms, all Karbi Anglong constituencies, except Bokajan, were represented by Congress legislators. “The anti-incumbency factor plays a strong role against the Congress in all the four constituencies of the hill district this time.

However, it is upto the Opposition to use it successfully. The BJP, too, plays an important role in the Diphu constituency this time, giving the other parties a headache,” said Rabin Teron, a villager in Hauraghat.