AGP nominates Baishya for Rajya Sabha election, ‘fissures' within party
Guwahati: The new generation of AGP leaders, who have come up after the Assam Agitation, yet again failed to secure nomination for the lone Rajya Sabha seat.
On Saturday night, AGP again nominated party veteran and outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Birendra Prasad Baishya as its candidate for election to the upper house, which will be held for two seats on June 19, after Baishya (AGP) and Mission Ranjan Das (BJP) complete their respective terms on June 14.
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AGP president Atul Borah on Sunday said the Rajya Sabha was a "house of elders" and an experienced parliamentarian like Baishya was the best fit. "Tomorrow (Monday), Birendra Prasad Baishya will file nomination papers. Rajya Sabha is a house of elders. Normally, more knowledgeable persons get priority, if compared to Lok Sabha across all parties," said Borah.
He said in Assam's interest, Baishya needed to be there in the Rajya Sabha.
However, sources in AGP said there has been a huge resentment among other party leaders, who have been seeking nomination for the RS polls. Some of the leaders, who were denied ticket, said there were 27 leaders who sought the ticket, displaying resentment within the party ranks.
General secretaries Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Kamala Kanta Kalita, Satyabrat Kalita, Manoj Saikia and vice-president Apurba Bhattacharjee were among those prominent leaders and well-known faces of AGP, who wanted the ticket.
"There is huge resentment. So many leaders were seeking ticket, when Baishya was again keen to go to Rajya Sabha. It was a kind of protest against his (Baishya's) decision. The younger leaders are frustrated," one of the ticket seekers said.
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