Assam Lok Sabha polls | BJP to contest 11 seats, leaves three for allies AGP, UPPL

Among the other Northeastern States, it will support the NDPP candidate in Nagaland, while the details are being worked out in the other States, Mr. Sarma, who is also the convenor of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), said.

The BJP will contest 11 seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in Assam, leaving three for its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on February 29.

Among the other Northeastern States, it will support the NDPP candidate in Nagaland, while the details are being worked out in the other States, Mr. Sarma, who is also the convenor of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), said.

The AGP will contest from Barpeta and Dhubri, while UPPL will field its candidate in Kokrajhar. The allies will support each other's candidates in all the 14 constituencies in Assam, he said.

"Yesterday, BJP state chief Bhabesh Kalita and I had a meeting with our national president J. P. Nadda, Union Home minister Amit Shah and our national general secretary B.L. Santosh, during which seat-sharing was discussed," he told a press conference at the party headquarters in Guwahati.

He said UPPL had requested for the Kokrajhar seat, which the BJP agreed to.

"The AGP, which has its base across the State, wanted more seats. But I conveyed to them the request of our Central leadership to contest from two seats this time, and they have obliged us," the CM said.

"Of the total 14 seats, we are optimistic of winning 11. In the other three also, we will fight tooth and nail," he said.