Guwahati, March 16: Rebel AGP leader and Biswanath MLA Prabin Hazarika today filed his nomination as an Independent candidate, dealing a blow to the AGP-BJP alliance on the north bank of the Brahmaputra.

Hazarika, accompanied by hundreds of supporters, submitted his nomination papers to Pallav Gopal Jha, returning officer for the Biswanath constituency and the in-charge deputy commissioner of the new Biswanath district at his office in Biswanath Chariali this afternoon.

After filing his nomination, Hazarika told The Telegraph over phone that he has resigned from the AGP and will be contesting as an Independent under the banner of Asom Gana Parishad (Anchalikatabadi Mancha), a new party formed on March 8 by a section of AGP leaders who are opposed to the alliance with the BJP.

Hazarika was angered by the party leadership's decision to cede the Biswanath seat to the BJP despite his being the sitting MLA.

"It still remains a mystery to me why the AGP leadership decided to give this seat to the BJP. Maybe it was sold to the BJP," he said.

The AGP (Anchalikatabadi Mancha) has two former education ministers - Thaneswar Boro and Bhaben Baruah - while the former president of the AGP's youth wing, Sunil Rajkonwar, is its president.

Rajkonwar today announced the names of the Mancha candidates in 14 seats, including Hazarika from Biswanath. Among other notable names are Thaneswar Boro from Rangia, Bhaben Baruah from Chabua, Anup Phukan from Tingkhong and Prasun Rajkonwar from Mahmora.

Rajkonwar will contest from Moran.

He told reporters in Dibrugarh today that the flood, erosion and unemployment problems of the state will be their main poll planks.

Another senior AGP leader, Rekha Rani Das Boro, is likely to contest from Barama constituency with the backing of the Sanmilita Janagosthiya Oikya Mancha, Assam, which is a platform of non-Bodo groups in the BTAD.

The scene in the BJP over the alliance is also not very different as a section of its workers floated a new political outfit recently, which was christened as Trinamul BJP. The new outfit has said that it would field candidates in the 24 constituencies that the BJP has ceded to the AGP.

Sarat Saikia, three-time Congress MLA from Mahmara in Upper Assam, has decided to contest the elections as an Independent after he was denied a ticket. The Congress has fielded Suruj Dihingia, a former Assam PCC secretary and ex-general secretary of Assam Youth Congress, from Mahmara.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AVIK CHAKRABORTY IN DIBRUGARH