Jorhat, March 13: BJP Jorhat Lok Sabha MP and candidate for the Titabar Assembly seat Kamakhya Prasad Tasa today urged disgruntled party leaders and workers not to rebel against the party over the alliance with AGP and ticket distribution for the elections.
He warned of "strong disciplinary action", if any member was found indulging in anti-party activities.
Titabar in Jorhat district has been represented by chief minister Tarun Gogoi since 2001 from where Gogoi is again contesting the polls for the fourth consecutive term.
After the BJP announced its alliance on March 3 with the AGP, to which it has given away 24 seats, there have been widespread protests across Assam in areas under the constituencies offered to the AGP. Angry BJP workers have taken to streets to protest the party's national leadership's decision.
A large number of BJP offices have been vandalised, locked up and also party flags torched by peeved party members who shouted slogans against the alliance and the leadership.
Admitting that there has been resentment within a section of the party over seat-sharing with the AGP, Tasa said it was natural to "feel bad or get angry" over the decision as the workers at the grassroots were working hard over the years.
"We understand the sentiment of the workers disappointed by the decision (alliance), but they should also understand that alliance has been forged by the national leadership for a greater interest, which is to end 15 years of Congress misrule," Tasa said.
Justifying the alliance, Tasa, who is also a media panellist for the elections, said the leadership forged an alliance with the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) in the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) to boost the BJP's chances of coming to power and let Assam join the path of progress and prosperity like other BJP-ruled states.
He said there were reports in print and electronic media that some people were trying to form a platform or an outfit under the banner of Trinamul BJP to contest the polls.
"Our party has no links and has nothing to do with such attempts. Taking a serious view of such moves we have asked out party units to explain to the public during campaigning that BJP has no association with any such proposed outfit, and also to caution party members not to go against the party," Tasa said.
He said if any party member filed nomination against the party's official candidate or anyone was found campaigning for some other candidate instead of the party nominee or tried to harm the party's prospects, there would be severe disciplinary action against them.
He said those members, who really supported the party, would never go against its interests for not being able to contest or for their leaders not been able to do so because of the alliance.
Tasa denied Opposition charges that the BJP's leadership was imposing the alliance.
He said the party was national one which always took note of regional scenario by taking feedback from the state leadership. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Northeast and Assam in particular is getting priority as the BJP-led government wants the region to be on a par with the national mainstream of progress, he added.
Replying to a query on the party's decision to field him against Gogoi, he said it was a matter of honour as "I have been found suitable by the leadership to take on such a veteran leader".
He said in the name of development there were a lot of corruption in Titabar with the Rs 100-crore PHE drinking water supply project scam being the most blatant one and a "big failure".
He said only handful of contractors had benefited and were running the show.
