This story is from May 24, 2019

Assam election results: Dry run continues for BJP allies

BJP's allies in Assam, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) failed to win a single seat in the Lok Sabha election for the second time in a row. AGP had contested in Kaliabor, Barpeta and Dhubri seats while BPF contested Kokrajhar. While Congress won Kaliabor and Barpeta, AIUDF retained Dhubri and Independent Naba Sarania held on to Kokrajhar.
Assam election results: Dry run continues for BJP allies
BJP
GUWAHATI: BJP's strides in the northeast may not have translated into big victories for its Assam allies. Both Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) failed to win a single seat in the Lok Sabha election for the second time in a row.
AGP had contested in Kaliabor, Barpeta and Dhubri seats while BPF contested Kokrajhar.
While Congress won Kaliabor and Barpeta, AIUDF retained Dhubri and Independent Naba Sarania held on to Kokrajhar.
BPF's Pramila Rani Brahma lost to Sarania, an Independent candidate who retained the Kokrajhar seat. "I accept the mandate. Though I did well in some of the pockets, it was not enough to cross the line," Brahma told the media.
Sarania, who had become the first non-Bodo to win the seat in 2014, said, "This was inevitable. The people of this region know who to choose. My priority is to represent the issues of my people in the Parliament and to protect their rights at any cost. Without me, the non-Bodos here will be marginalized in their own land. Since 2014, the Kokrajhar constituency did not record any violence and I assure that peace will continue."
AGP president Atul Bora said, "All three seats where we contested were held by opposition parties. It was not easy for us, but our candidates fought really well. From PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, everyone supported us."
The regional party's decision to go back to the NDA after months of strident protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill had been criticized by its supporters, who thought AGP had been given a raw deal by BJP.

Assam Agitation leader, AGP founder and former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who had been bitterly opposed to AGP's return to NDA, said the results were not unexpected.
"Because of the alliance, AGP's minority vote banks moved to other parties. All seats the party fought were either minority-dominated or had a sizeable minority voter base," he said.
AGP is consoling itself with ally BJP's victory. "The sweeping mandate in favour of our ally across the country is a welcome sight," Bora said.
"We are very happy that Modi will be heading the country again," he added.
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