Seat-sharing discussions among partners of the ruling alliance in Assam have begun, and a final decision is expected to be announced in the coming days, senior state minister and president of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Atul Bora, said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, Bora confirmed that the first round of discussions on seat distribution for the upcoming Assembly elections has already taken place between the AGP leadership, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The talks are part of ongoing consultations among alliance partners to reach a mutually agreeable formula before the elections.
“Yesterday we had a discussion with the BJP and the Chief Minister regarding seat sharing. We will announce the details in a few days after a formal discussion,” Bora said.
According to Bora, the discussions are still at an initial stage and more meetings are expected before the final arrangement is announced. Leaders from both parties are trying to work out a formula that accommodates the interests of alliance partners while maintaining coordination within the ruling coalition.
Meanwhile, the BJP has already moved ahead with its internal preparations for the upcoming Assembly polls. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 4 said the party has almost completed the process of finalising potential candidates for a large number of constituencies across the state.
Sarma said that candidate panels for around 90 Assembly constituencies have been prepared following detailed discussions held at the BJP’s state headquarters, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati. The meeting, which continued late into the night, reviewed the political situation in different constituencies and assessed possible candidates for the elections.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, the Chief Minister said the party is entering the final stage of its electoral preparations. He indicated that the BJP is likely to release its first list of candidates between March 10 and March 12.
While the BJP continues to finalise its candidate list, parallel discussions with alliance partners such as the AGP are underway to decide how seats will be distributed among them for the upcoming polls.
