Cong-Oppn spat sets tone for poll campaign in Assam

War of words between Assam's ruling Congress and opposition Asom Gana Parishad-BJP combine has geared up. The tone was set by the Congress at their launch of the poll campaign on March 7 when the party unleashed a no-holds-barred attack on the "unholy" AGP-BJP alliance.

With Lok Sabha polls barely a month away, war of words between two major political entities in Assam-- the ruling Congress and opposition Asom Gana Parishad-BJP combine-- has geared up.

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The tone was set by the Congress at their launch of the poll campaign on March 7 when the party unleashed a no-holds-barred attack on the "unholy" AGP-BJP alliance.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi took a dig at the seat-sharing agreement, terming it as a "huge compromise by the AGP".
"The AGP calls itself a regional party, but surprisingly it has sacrificed prestigious seats like Guwahati and Jorhat to the BJP. So what is left of the party (AGP)?" he asked.

AGP president Chandra Mohan Patwary was quick to react when at a rally the next day he charged that Congress leaders were incapable of taking any independent decision and knocked at Delhi's door for "any matter".

He clarified that the AGP was not a partner in the NDA but only has a seat-sharing agreement with the BJP.
"There is no alliance with the BJP, it is only a agreement to defeat the Congress. The BJP will be the elder brother in the LS polls while the AGP will switch role in the Assembly election," he said.