Guwahati, Sep 14 (IANS): Months ahead of the next year's assembly polls in the state, a new political party -- the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) -- was formed on Monday with the coming together of two of the state's most powerful students' organisations.
Earlier, the influential All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), which have come together to form the AJP, had set up an 18-member Assam Advisory Committee (AAC) of eminent citizens to suggest the future course of action for the two organisations.
Addressing the media, former Gauhati University Professor Krishnagopal Bhattacharya, one of the two conveners of the AAC, announced the formation of the new party. "The name AJP was chosen from three proposals made during an AAC meeting on Sunday," Bhattacharya said. The slogan of the new party would be "Ghore Ghore Aami" (We are in each family) to establish relations with each household in the state, added Bhattacharya.
Former professor of Handique Girls' College and AAC's another convenor Basanta Deka said that various formalities and formation of party units up to the booth-level would be complete by October 30.
Deka said that the AJP's draft constitution has almost been ready and the party's state-level committee would be formed by the first week of November through a convention while the logo and the flag of the organisation would be decided soon.
Raju Phukan, Jagdish Bhuyan and Haren Chutia among other leaders of the AAC also present during the politically significant announcement of the AJP. Veteran politician Jagadish Bhuyan has been appointed as the coordinator of AJP.
The five-year term of the Assam assembly ends on May 31 and the election is expected to be held in April or May. The election to the 126-member Assam Assembly in 2016 had given a fractured mandate and no party got the absolute majority in the house. Defeating Congress, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party came to power with support from the Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People's Front along with one Independent MLA.