Guwahati, Nov. 19: After Sootea MLA Padma Hazarika joined the BJP, another AGP legislator is all set to follow suit.
Dhakuakhana MLA Naba Kumar Doley, who quit the AGP yesterday, will formally join the BJP on November 23, along with his supporters at a function to be organised at his constituency. Senior BJP leaders, including state president Siddhartha Bhattacharya and Union minister of state for sports and Lakhimpur MP Sarbananda Sonowal, will attend the function.
Doley will become the second AGP legislator to switch over to the BJP after Padma Hazarika joined the party along with his supporters at Jamugurihat in Sonitpur district on October 30.
The AGP has nine MLAs in the 126-member state Assembly, including Hazarika and Doley.
Speaking to The Telegraph over phone, Doley said he had taken the decision to join the BJP after holding wide-ranging discussions with his supporters and people of his constituency. "People of my constituency advised me to join the BJP," he said.
"The basic reason for me going to the BJP is that we need a strong and stable non-Congress government in the state to resolve the problems faced by the state, including my constituency, and at present only the BJP can provide a stable government in Assam under the bold and strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Doley said.
He said he had submitted his resignation to the AGP leadership yesterday.
Asked whether Doley's exit will affect the party, AGP president Atul Bora said any member leaving the party will definitely have an impact but they will surely overcome it.
"I want to appeal to all those who want to quit the AGP to leave within a week so that we can start rebuilding the party," he said.
In the past couple of years, several prominent AGP leaders have joined the BJP, including former AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary and former ministers Hitendra Nath Goswami and Atul Bora (senior), former Speaker Pulakesh Barua and former AGP legislator from Titabar Hemanta Kalita, among others.
Replying to a question whether the party will move the Speaker seeking disqualification of Padma Hazarika from the state Assembly under the anti-defection law, Bora said the matter would be discussed by the AGP legislature party.
