Bhrigu Kumar Phukan, one of the senior-most leaders of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), is likely to be the focus of a new alliance comprising ultra-left elements and hardliners of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) after his suspension yesterday. He is expected to be formally expelled from the party on August 3.
Phukan was the AGP's working president, but had an uneasy relationship with chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta ever since he merged his Natun Asom Gana Parishad (NAGP) on the eve of the May 1996 assembly elections in the state. Mahanta enjoys complete control in every committee of the AGP, which has encouraged him not to include Phukan in his ministry. Phukan had formed the NAGP in 1991 after protesting against Mahanta's style of functioning.
Phukan's suspension came after the AGP legislature party recommended action against him for recently stating in an interview that Mahanta had failed on all fronts, and that it was time for him to go. The party's powerful central committee dominated by Mahanta's men is expected to expel him at its meeting on August 3.
Two factors have contributed to Phukan's suspension: A clash of egos and the inability of the AGP's new liberalism to co-exist with the hardline ideology of the AASU days, symbolised by Phukan. The ego clash between Phukan and Mahanta began soon after the AGP came to power in 1985, when Mahanta became the chief minister, and Phukan the home minister. Since then there has been a war of words between the two, in private as well as in public.
Mahanta has perceived a threat to his numero uno position in the AGP only from Phukan, who shared the limelight equally during the agitation against foreign nationals.
No other leader in the party has the stature to challenge Mahanta, which explains his efforts over the years to marginalise Phukan progressively. Phukan has always been considered a hardliner on the foreign nationals issue. He has picked holes in Mahanta's stand and performance on this crucial issue to hit at him. Mahanta, who is leading a coalition government with considerable presence of minorites, has promised full support to the minorities, and given every indication of putting the issue in cold storage. Mahanta also strongly opposed former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's promise to repeal the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983.
The latest issues raised by Phukan are significant: the AGP's inability to fulfil the election promise to send the army back to the barracks, Mahanta agreeing to the Union home ministry's concept of a unified command against the ULFA, and also the lack of progress on resolving the Bodo issue.
Phukan is expected to formally join hands with the ultra-left Autonomous State Demands Committee (ASDC), which has recently withdrawn support to the Mahanta government. Hardliners who were/are in the AASU have raised the same issues that Phukan has, and would once again rally around him.
Such an alliance may not immediately destabilise the Mahanta government, but has the potential of doing so, and means fresh trouble for Mahanta.
Phukan also has the support of Atul Bora, a senior minister, who is also not on good terms with Mahanta, and could join hands with him. Bora is an aspirant for the chief ministership for quite some time, but has been kept in check by leaders close to Mahanta. Phukan's supporters include Pulakesh Barua, former speaker and Brindavan Goswami. He is also close to ASDC leaders like Janata Rongpi, MP and Holiram Terang, who recently initiated the move to withdraw support to the Mahanta government.
