AGP ministers in BJP-branded standees; leaders say it’s customary practice
Calling it customary, MoS Margherita clarifies BJP standees with AGP leaders reflect welcome, not political confusion
A collage of standees displayed along GS Road on Wednesday. (AT Photo)
Guwahati, August 27: With the Assam BJP in overdrive ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit for the “Panchayat Sanmilan” on August 29, political circles were abuzz on Wednesday after standees featuring Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leaders with the Saffron party’s name and symbol appeared along Guwahati’s GS Road.
The banners prominently displayed Agriculture Minister Atul Bora and Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta — both senior AGP leaders —with “Bharatiya Janata Party” and the party symbol “lotus” imprinted below their images.
The unusual visual pairing has stirred curiosity among observers, given that the AGP is a coalition partner in the BJP-led NDA in Assam, but not part of the saffron party’s organisational fold.
Reacting to the stir, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita told The Assam Tribune that there should be no confusion over the standees, as it is a BJP event welcoming alliance partners to the convention.
“There is no misunderstanding here. We are welcoming the honourable Ministers to a BJP Sanmilan. Since we are the hosts, we are welcoming them with our party’s symbol and name. In fact, the standees also carry the word aadorisu (welcome). It’s similar to using a respective party’s letterhead or writing pad,” he said.
Citing an example, Margherita pointed to state BJP president Dilip Saikia’s recent visit to the AGP office, where the welcome gate featured the AGP’s elephant symbol. “This is a custom across parties; there should not be any misunderstanding about it,” he added.
He, however, added that to address the issue, standees featuring the respective party symbols are also being prepared. ‘We are working on those as well,’ he said.
Echoing the sentiment, AGP spokesperson Kasturi Chutia also played down the matter.
“Atul Bora and Keshab Mahanta are leaders of the AGP, and equally, they are leaders of the NDA. All candidates supported by the alliance will be present at the meeting. It is not a big deal to feature them under the BJP symbol. The presence of AGP winners at the event signifies respect,” she said.
The “Panchayat Sanmilan,” billed as a major show of strength by the BJP-led alliance, comes as the ruling coalition begins sharpening its strategy for the 2026 Assam Assembly polls.