'AASU-AJYCP', Two powerful student organisations in Assam formed new party 'Assam Jatiya Parishad'

Months ahead of the next year's assembly polls in the state, a new political party was formed on Monday with the coming together of two of the state's most powerful students' organisations. The political outfit to be formed by Assam's powerful students' organisations AASU and the AJYCP will be named the 'Asom Jatiya Parishad' (AJP).

Convenors of the Assam Advisory Committee (AAC) formed by the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) made the announcement on Monday.

Earlier, the influential student organisations, 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.

"The name was selected from three suggestions made during a meeting of the committee on Sunday," former Gauhati University professor Dr Krishna Gopal Bhattacharjya, one of the two convenors of the 16-member AAC, told reporters.

The new political entity will be guided by the slogan 'ghore ghore aami' (we are in each household) to establish relations with each family in the state and not just seek votes during the elections, he said.

Veteran politician Jagadish Bhuyan has been appointed as the coordinator of the party, he said.

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.

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.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS)