Guwahati, March 15: Supporters of sitting AGP legislator from Biswanath constituency, Prabin Hazarika, today decided to quit the party en masse and float a new party, Biswanath AGP, after the party decided to cede the constituency to its alliance partner BJP.

Hazarika is likely to contest as an Independent.

According to an AGP source, the party had earlier decided to go for a "friendly contest" with the BJP in Biswanath but changed its decision last night after the BJP objected to it.

Miffed at AGP's decision not to field its candidate in Biswanath, Hazarika and his loyalists today decided to float the new party.

The source said the AGP decided to have "friendly contest" with the BJP in four seats - Naoboicha, Mahmara, Kalaigaon and Hajo.

The BJP's state unit president, Sarbananda Sonowal, however, rejected the idea of having any "friendly contest" with the AGP and stated that the regional party should refrain from putting up its candidate in any seat other than the 24 constituencies that the BJP had conceded to them.

The alliance between the BJP and AGP has set off protests in various other constituencies such as Rangiya, Kamalpur, Patacharkuchi, Dhakuakhana, Chabua, Margherita and Nalbari. Disgruntled party leaders on either side are threatening to float new parties.

According to a section of AGP members, the party should have got more seats than the 24 agreed upon with the BJP, of the total 126 Assembly seats in the state. The 24 seats given to the AGP include Kamalpur and Patacharkuchi, where the BJP has sitting MLAs.

BJP workers also staged demonstrations at different places against the alliance.