AGP’s steady decline persists despite decade in power

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) continues its steady slide despite being the BJP's junior partner in Assam for a decade, The Hindu reports. The regional party has been allocated the same 26 seats as the 2021 election, but the constituencies are predominantly minority-heavy, reflecting its diminishing bargaining power. The BJP, which named no Muslim candidate, has passed these seats to its ally.

The AGP dropped five-time MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita from Guwahati West, with the BJP fielding Vijay Kumar Gupta from the new Guwahati Central seat. Tensions brewed in Dergaon, Khumtai and Barhampur, where AGP wanted to contest. Meanwhile, Raijor Dal, born from anti-CAA protests, secured 11 seats from the Congress after alliance talks failed. The AGP's transformation from senior to junior partner is now irreversible.