Assam BTC polls: AGP candidate pulls out of Thuribari seat, fuels BJP alliance buzz

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which had earlier declared it would contest independently in the spirit of regionalism, has withdrawn one of its key candidates at the last moment ahead of BTC elections scheduled to be held on September 22.

AGP’s nominee for the 19-No Thuribari (ST) constituency in Chirang district, Prarthajit Roy, pulled back his nomination papers on the final day, leaving political observers questioning the party’s strategy.

The move has sparked speculation that the AGP’s decision may have been aimed at paving the way for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Bijni MLA Ajay Kumar Roy, to secure an easier victory in the seat.

In the previous BTC polls, AGP’s Prarthajit Roy had polled a respectable 8,517 votes from Thuribari, a constituency with a total of 59,308 registered voters. His withdrawal this time is being seen as a calculated step, one that could signal a tacit understanding between AGP and BJP despite the former’s earlier assertion of going solo.