GUWAHATI, August 29- About 1,500 tea tribe students and tea workers' leaders today joined the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) at a function held at the Rabindra Bhawan here. The chief minister and AGP president, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, presided over the function, said an AGP press release here today. Those who joined the AGP today, included former vice-president of the Assam Tea Tribes Students' Union, Arjun Shah, its former organising secretary Dulen Nayak, former assistant secretary Pradip Tanti and former adviser Shankar Kishan, among others, said the AGP press release . (The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, August 30, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 29: AF Golam Osmani, the leader of the United Minorities Front (UMF), along with 400 party members formally joined the Congress at a function held at Rajiv Bhawan here today. Later talking to the mediapersons, Osmani said that Congress is maintaining a secular character and has a soft stand towards minority community. The UMF leader who was earlier associated with several political parties today made it clear that he would never quit the Congress under any circumstances. It had already taken up the "minority issues". "Regional parties do not want to solve our longstanding demands, hence we have decided to join the mainstream party," Osmani said, adding that with this merger, the Congress would be strengthened. Addressing the gathering the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, Tarun Gogoi, said that the party would protect secularism and at the same time it will fight for providing equal rights to the people. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, August 30, 1999)

AGARTALA, August 30: The Tripura Upajati Juba Samity (TUJS), a major tribal political party in Tripura, is all set to snap its 16-year-old ties with the Congress. According to the TUJS general secretary Rabindra Debbarma, majority members in the central executive committee meeting here have expressed serious reservation over the continuance of its alliance with the Congress, stating that the major partner had been slowly inclining towards the CPI(M) to which the party had been fighting since its inception. "The Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi's days are over when the Congress was treating the tribal party as its friend. Now the high command is dealing like their class four employees," said a senior TUJS leader. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, August 31, 1999)

IMPHAL, August 30: The fight for the prestigious Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency will be tough with three prominent contenders, including human rights activist Khaidem Mani, trying their luck in the Lok Sabha polls. While Thousaojam Chaoba Singh, a member of the dissolved Lower House would be a nominee of the ruling Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP), a partner of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Opposition Congress has selected former Manipur medical minister, Nimaichand Luwang, as its candidate from the constituency. With major Opposition parties failing to field a common candidate, Opposition votes are likely to split, sources in various parties said. The Congress with grassroot contact and having represented the seat on several occasions is likely to put up a stiff fight against the MSCP. The Secular Democratic Front has put up human rights activist and MPP leader Mani as a common candidate from this seat in Manipur Valley, Front sources said. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, August 31, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 30: An emergent meeting of the Guwahati, South Kamrup and Goalpara district committees of the All Bodo Students' Union under the presidentship of ABSU organising secretary, Sanjay Brahma Choudhury, have discussed elaborately the ensuing Lok Sabha election and decided to set terms and conditions for supporting different political parties and candidates. The meeting decided to extend support to only that political party which give assurances of fulfilling the conditions. The conditions are creation of a separate Bodoland state on the south bank of the river Brahmaputra from Sonkosh in the west to Sadiya in the east; creation of more autonomy to the south bank of Brahmaputra comprising the tribal compact areas of Goalpara and South Kamrup districts of Assam under the Sixth Schedule provision of the Constitution by amending the present Rabha Hasong Act/95; inclusion of Bodo Kacharis living Karbi Anglong in to the Hills Tribal list; inclusion of Garos living in Assam into the Plain Tribal list; and political safeguard and land problem of the Bodos and other tribals living in the Guwahati area should be solved. (The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, August 31, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 31: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the United Minorities Front (UMF) of Assam have forged an electoral alliance to fight the ensuing Lok Sabha elections jointly. The NCP has conceded the two Lok Sabha constituencies of Nagaon and Barpeta to the UMF, while the latter gave up its claim on the Dhubri and Kaliabor seats. Announcing this at a joint press conference, NCP's Northeast core committee chairman, Sarat Chandra Sinha, NCP general secretary, PA Sangma, and the UMF president, HRA Chowdhury, said Sunil Ranjan Roy of the NCP has been nominated for the Karimganj (SC) seat, while HRA Chowdhury and Abdus Samad Ahmed of the UMF have been nominated for the Nagaon and Barpeta seats respectively. However, the names of the alliance nominees for the Guwahati, Dhubri, Mangaldoi, Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh constituencies will be announced later. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 1, 1999)

AGARTALA, August 31: In a major political development, the Tripura Upajati Juba Samity (TUJS), a political partner of the main Opposition Congress, snapped its 17-year-old ties with the latter. Announcing this here at a press conference, TUJS general secretary and former minister, Rabindra Debbarma, told newsmen yesterday that in view of the Congress-CPI(M) alliance in all-India politics, his party had decided not to support the Congress in the state. The TUJS had been demanding the East Tripura Lok Sabha seat from the Congress, but no leader of the Congress in the state and at the Centre came forward to heed the same, Debbarma said, adding that a party delegation recently visited New Delhi and met AICC general secretaries Pranab Mukherjee and Ambika Soni but no positive result yielded about the party's demand to allot the Tripura East seat to the party. The crucial decision to snap ties with the Congress was taken at the TUJS's central committee conference held here on Sunday and Monday . (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 1, 1999)

ITANAGAR, August 31: Political parties are yet to announce the names of candidates for the 60 Assembly constituencies in this 'strategic frontier state' and some candidates are shifting their loyalties in search of better prospect. It came to light when Kokum Koyu, named by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its nominee from Nari-Koyu constituency in East Siang district denied that he had applied for BJP ticket. Much to the surprise of the state unit BJP leaders, Koyu, in a press statement, claimed that he had resigned from the post of district level general secretary and primary membership of the party along with his supporters recently. Stating that he had joined the National Congress Party, Koyu said he had taken this decision to honour the wishes of the people of Nari Koyu. Following in the footsteps Koyu is Nimasow Govardhan. He too in a press note clarified that he would contest ensuing elections as the candidate of Arunachal Congress, led by former chief minister Gegong Apang. He asked the state unit BJP chief to delete his name from the BJP lists since he was contesting on an Arunachal Congress ticket. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 1, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 1: The creation of a separate state of Bodoland will be the main election plank of the candidates supported by the All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) and the Bodo People's Action Committee (BPAC) for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. This was disclosed by the president of the ABSU, Urkhao Gwra Brahma. Brahma said that the ABSU and the BPAC have decided to support two Independent candidates - Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmutiary from the Kokrajhar Parliamentary constituency and Rabi Ram Brahma from the Mangaldoi constituency. He said that the ABSU and the BPAC backed candidates would also demand Scheduled Tribe status for the Bodos living in Karbi Anglong and autonomy to the Bodos living in the south bank of the river Brahmaputra. He said that during the campaigning, the ABSU and the BPAC will also demand development of the Bodo dominated areas of the state. Brahma said that the ABSU and the BPAC have not entered into to any electoral alliance with other political parties. He said that the BJP has not fielded candidate for the Kokrajhar Lok Sabha constituency but "we have not entered into any electoral understanding with the BJP." He admitted that the ABSU backed MP SK Bwiswmutiary had voted in favour of the BJP Government at the Centre in the interest of a solution to the Bodo problem as the BJP government initiated steps for the solution of the problem. He said that the Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also entrusted the defence minister, George Fernandes, to hold talks with the leaders of Bodo parties and organisations but the fall of the Government jeopardised the whole process. The ABSU president revealed that they had talks with different students' organisations like the All Assam Nepali Students' Union, Sarania Students' Union, Bengali Students Federation and the ABSU was hopeful of getting the support of these organisations during the ensuing polls . (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 2, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 1: Former Congress MPs, Balin Kuli and Ahmed Hussain, today decided to jump into the National Congress Party (NCP) bandwagon and said that they have quit the Congress due to the incompetence of the state Congress leadership to solve the burning issues of the state. Addressing a joint press conference, Kuli and Hussain at the very outset clarified that their joining the NCP was not because of their failure to secure Congress nominations for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. "I could have resigned from the Congress even last year when I was refused nomination if that was the only consideration," said Kuli, Hussain who resigned from the Congress today echoed the same view. Though both leaders said that they did not join the NCP seeking tickets to contest elections, they also said that they could not mind contesting if given the chance. Kuli is tipped to be the NCP candidate for the Lakhmipur L S seat white Hussain is likely to contest the Dhubri seat. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 2, 1999)

AIZAWL, September 1: The Congress, the Mizo National Front (Nationalist) and Janata Dal (Secular) on Tuesday fielded prominent church leader Rokamlova as their joint candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat going to elections on September 25. The state Congress also agreed to the demand of its ally, the MNF(N) to use a free symbol for the elections, in effect freezing its 'hand' symbol. While confirming the candidature of Rokamlova, former Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president and senior leader Sainghaka said the decision was taken on Monday night at a meeting between Congress and MNF(N) representatives. He informed that though the JD (Secular) representatives were not present, the decision was taken after consultation with its leadership. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 2, 1999)

AGARTALA, September 1: A new political alignment was likely between the Tripura Upajati Juba Samity (TUJS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura. The TUJS general secretary, Rabindra Debbarma, met executive committee member of the BJP and observer for Tripura, Bansilal Soni, and held a series of discussions with him. Expressing satisfaction over the outcome to the meeting, Debbarma said the BJP was unanimous about the important demands of the tribal party of providing more power to Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and introduction of inner line permit in the tribal belts. Soni also assured the tribal leaders of arranging a meeting between the TUJS and the Prime Minister or Union Home minister shortly to finalise the issues, Debbarma said. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 2, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 2: Successive governments at the Centre failed to take necessary steps for the development of Assam and other parts of the northeastern region and only during the tenure of the Deve Gowda government, some steps were taken for the overall development of the region, said the secretary of the Assam state unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Hemen Das. Talking to this correspondent, Das said that development of Assam would be one of the main election planks of his party in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in the state. He said that negligence by the central government was the main reason for the underdevelopment of this region. He expressed the view that only the Deve Gowda government at the Centre had shown some sincerity for the development of the region and an economic package was also formulated. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 3, 1999)

TURA, September 2: The stage for the battle for the Tura parliamentary constituency seat between PA Sangma and the Congress dark horse, Atul C Marak, a former state minister, was formally set when the two filed their nomination papers here. The six-time MP from Tura and former Lok Sabha Speaker Sangma, filed his nomination papers here on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Marak filed his nominations. Marak was elected to the state legislature for three times and was cabinet minister in different ministries. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 2, 1999)

AGARTALA, September 3: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will field 18 candidates in the seven Northeast states which have 24 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP central observer and party's national executive member, Bansi Lal Soni, told newsmen here on Thursday that the party would not field any candidate in Mizoram, where the ruling parties were supporting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. In Assam, the BJP would contest 12 of the 14 seats while it would fight both seats in Tripura and one each in Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Talks were on with the Tripura Upajati Juba Samity leaders to form an alliance in the state. (Agencies; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 4, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 3: The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) has directed its members not to involve themselves in the ensuing Lok Sabha electioneering until specific instructions from the central office. An AJYCP press release issued today by its president, Dilip Patgiri, and general secretary, Apurba Bhattacharyya, said in the meantime decisions arrived at in a representative meeting have been forwarded to its units for wide publicity and successful implementation. They said on organisational matters, members can carry out their duties in terms of the manner in which the Asom Gana Sangram Parishad (AGSP) was formed under the aegis of the AJYCP. They said it will not be involved in electioneering for the time being in the face of its commitment toward the interests of the nation and its people, the release said. (The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 4, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 5: The CPI-ML (Liberation) has decided to field three candidates for the Lok Sabha constituencies of Diphu, Tezpur and Dibrugarh under the party banner, besides extending support to two candidates for the Lakhimpur and Nagaon seats. The CPI-ML candidate for Diphu will be Jayanta Rongpi, while its general secretary Bibek Das has been nominated for Tezpur and its Asom Sangrami Chah Shramik Sangha general secretary Brij Pradhan has been nominated for Dibrugarh. The Assam People's Front candidate, Ranoj Pegu, will get CPI-ML support in Lakhimpur, while ADSF candidate, Rimal Amsi, will have the support of the CPI-ML in Nagaon. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 6, 1999)

SILCHAR, September 5: The war of words is getting hotter as campaigning gains momentum in the prestigious Silchar Lok Sabha seat which is likely to witness a tough triangular fight among three political heavyweights - Union minister of state for communications, Kabindra Purkayastha, former Union minister, Santosh Mohan Dev, and Abdul Muhib Mazumdar, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) -led four-party alliance candidate. Purkayastha, the BJP candidate, has accused the Congress of making false promises to the people. "Otherwise, why do people have to raise demands for even basic amenities like roads, drinking water, power, education, health facilities after 52 years of Independence of which the Congress had been in power for a long 45 years?" he asks at election meetings in Dholai areas. Not to be outdone, Dev of Congress charges the BJP with practising communal politics. Only the Congress can guarantee security and development, he claimed at a campaign meeting at Itakhola Assembly constituency. As the war of words get shriller, the AGP-led four-party alliance candidate, Mazumdar declared that he is joining the fray to challenge two evil forces - apparently indicating the BJP and the Congress. "A victory for the third front is a must to save the country from the corruption of the Congress and communal politics of the BJP," he asserts while campaigning in Barkhola. (Bedabrata Lahkar; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 6, 1999)

AIZAWL, September 6: With the battlelines already drawn over September 25 polls to the lone Mizoram Lok Sabha seat, development and communalism are the major poll planks of the two main contenders, the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF)-Mizoram People's Conference and the three party combine led by Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee respectively. The Opposition Congress-Mizo National Front (Nationalist)- Janata Dal (Secular) combine has charged the ruling MNF-MPC alliance of being in the 'communal camp' by supporting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Former chief minister and state Congress chief, Lal Thanhawla, described the coming polls battle between secular front and communal front. Rokamlova is the consensus candidate of MPCC-MNF(N)-JD(S) alliance and Vanlalzawma is the MNF-MPC combine candidate. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 7, 1999)

IMPHAL, September 7: Meijinglung Kamson, former Union minister of state for home affairs and a Congress member in the dissolved Lok Sabha, has resigned from the primary membership of the party. Stating this to newspersons here, Kamson said he had sent the resignation letter to the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi. Party sources said Kamson, who had represented Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency for four terms, was refused party ticket. The Congress ticket for the seat was given to RK Theko, a close confident of the former Manipur chief minister and senior party leader, Rishang Keishing. Kamson, a Naga, experienced defeat in the last 1998 Lok Sabha elections as all Nagas had boycotted the polls. Political observers here indicated that Kamson might join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contest the coming Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket from the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency. BJP state unit president, H Bhubon Singh, said that his party had decided to field a suitable Naga candidate for the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency. There will be a friendly contest in the Outer Manipur constituency among the National Democratic Alliance partners, and the name of the BJP candidate will be announced within a couple of days, he said. The Manipur State Congress Party, a unit of the NDA, is fielding Soso Lorho, a former minister, as its candidate in the Outer Manipur. The Janata Dal (United), another partner of the NDA, had announced the name of Kim Gangte, former Lok Sabha member, as its candidate for Outer Manipur. (Agencies; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 8, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 8: Solution to the problem of infiltration of foreigners into Assam continues to be the main poll plank of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Apart from the foreigners issue, the party will also raise other issues like underdevelopment, problem of extremism, etc., during the poll campaign, said the president of the Assam state unit of the BJP, Narayan Borkotoky. Borkotoky said that the problem of infiltration of foreigners into Assam was a national problem as it concerned national security. He pointed out that even Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agents had entered Assam along with infiltrators. He said that the BJP national executive had already stressed the need for scrapping the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act as the Act was posing hurdles in the way of detecting and deporting foreigners from Assam. Commenting on the allegation that the Vajpayee government at the Centre failed to take any step for the solution of the foreigners problem, he said that the Centre took a time-bound programme for completing the barbed wire fencing along the Assam-Bhutan border. He also said that the BJP Government at the Centre failed to scrap the IMDT Act as it did not have majority in the Rajya Sabha to do so. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 9, 1999)

UDALGURI, September 6: The People's Democratic Front (PDF) will extend its support to the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) candidate in the Mangaldoi parliamentary constituency in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections to be held on October 3 next. This was disclosed by Dalim Bayan, an AGP leader, at Udalguri. (The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 9, 1999)

AGARTALA, September 8: The Border Security Force (BSF) will seal the international border and intensify counter-insurgency operation in Tripura to flush out militants before the Lok Sabha polls. Election Commissioner, GVG Krishnamurti, addressing a press conference here today, said that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence was helping mercenaries and militants to disturb peace and it posed a threat to the law-enforcing agencies. Considering all these, paramilitary forces and state security forces will take every effort to foil the conspiracy of the militants and the ISI, he said, adding that 105 people were killed by the militants till August 31. Last year the extremists had killed 203 people. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 9, 1999)

AGARTALA, September 8: A third force has emerged in Tripura with the realignment of political parties like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Trinamool Congress and the Tripura Upajati Juba Samity (TUJS) posing a serious threat to both the ruling Left Front and Congress. As per an agreement reached between the Trinamool Congress and BJP, the latter has decided to withdraw its candidate for West Tripura seat in favour of Trinamool candidate, former chief minister, Sudhir Ranjan Mazumder. On the other hand, the TUJS, a major tribal political party which had snapped its electoral tie with Congress, is wooing the BJP. The BJP state president, HS Roy Choudhury, said a TUJS delegation led by general secretary, Rabindra Debbarma, met the BJP central leaders at New Delhi on Tuesday and finalised an electoral understanding with BJP. The BJP and Trinamool Congress will support the TUJS in the by-election to the Shantir Bazar assembly constituency. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 9, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 9: The Assam state committee of the Communist Party of India (CPI) has demanded that Assam should be declared as a special category state like Jammu and Kashmir under the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution of India. The state unit of the CPI, in its election manifesto, which was released today by senior party leader and state flood control minister, Promode Gogoi, also demanded that Assam should get the status of a tribal state and the Centre should take immediate steps for creating the legislative council in the state. The CPI assured that the party would continue to put pressure on the Union government to fulfil its constitutional obligations regarding the law-and-order situation in the state and steps should be taken for political solution of the problem of insurgency. The CPI alleged that foreign agents like the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) began to take roots in Assam because of the weakness of the Central Government and all sections of the people of the State should stand united to thwart the designs of the Pakistani agents. The CPI, in its manifesto, demanded that the Union government must take immediate steps for providing photo-identity cards to the voters of the state and a correct voters list should be prepared under the provisions of the Citizenship Act. The party also called for deportation of foreigners who entered Assam after March 25, 1971. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 10, 1999)

SHILLONG, September 9: The Meghalaya administration today came in for sharp criticism by the Election Commission for its poor and inept preparations for the elections to two Lok Sabha seats in the State just a fortnight away. Election Commissioner, GM Lyngdoh, who is here on a two-day visit to the state, told newsmen at the Raj Bhawan here today, "The entire State Administration is sleeping." He was annoyed that even the police was lulled under the impression that there would be no law-and-order problem during the September 25 polls in Meghalaya. Observing that there were many polling booths in the state specially in the Garo Hills districts which are difficult and inaccessible, Lyngdoh expressed dismay that no officer could enlighten him about the measures being adopted to reach those polling centres. "I have never come across such a complacent administration in my life," the Election Commissioner, hailing from Meghalaya, said. (Special Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 10, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 9: The banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has activated its mobile action groups to disrupt the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, highly-placed official sources disclosed today. The sources said that the ULFA leadership had already sent 10 groups during the last month to different districts of the state to destabilise the poll process. "Each group comprises 10 to 12 members equipped with sophisticated weapons, and they are now in various places of lower Assam", the sources added. The mobile action groups of the banned outfit were reportedly disbanded during 1998 in view of financial crisis of the outfit, but they are now reorganised. The sources, however informed that this time the outfit constituted small groups so that they can take shelter easily. "The state police unearthed the fact following an encounter with such a group in Rangiya recently, and during the operations two dreaded militants of the outfit were killed," sources said, adding that similar groups had sneaked into Nagaon, Darrang and Sonitpur districts. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 10, 1999)

AIZAWL, September 9: The Mizoram government would set up two polling stations along its border with Tripura to enable about 2,700 Reang refugees living in Tripura's camps to cast their votes. According to chief electoral officer of Mizoram, Tochhong, the move followed a directive from the Delhi High Court directing the state government to set up poll booths along the Mizoram-Tripura border for the benefit of Reang refugees living in Tripura's camps. The decision on the number of polling stations to be set up was left with the state government. The proposal of setting up two special polling stations, on the Mizoram side (east bank) of river Langkaih in the Kanhmun area opposite Damcheera in Tripura, would help Reang refugees of seven electoral constituencies living in Tripura's camps to cast their votes. The Reang voters would be identified on the basis of electoral rolls prepared on July 21,1999 by the Mizoram government. Meanwhile, the Hmar People's Convention (HPC) has decided to support the candidate put up by the Mizo National Front-Mizo People's Conference during the coming election. The decision was made on Tuesday during a general conference of HPC officebearers here, according to a statement issued by the organisation. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 10, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 10 - The Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to extend support to Elwin Teron and Sansuma Bwiswmutiary for Diphu and Kokrajhar constituencies respectively in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. The state BJP president, Narayan Borkotoky said the party had taken the decision to defeat Congress and other political parties. Borkotoky, however said that Teron will contest the election as an independent candidate on a free symbol. Commenting on the Kokrajhar seat, he said Bwiswmutiary has been highlighting the problems of the Bodo community, moreover during the confidence motion he voted in favour of the BJP Government, hence the party had extended full support to him. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 11, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 10: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, in its manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha elections, has pledged that its MPs in the Lok Sabha would demand 100 per cent grants from the Union government for implementing central schemes in the state, besides reservation of 100 per cent of Grade-IV and 80 of the Grade-III jobs of the Union government offices located in the state for the local people. Releasing the manifesto at a function at the Rajiv Bhawan here, the state party president, Tarun Gogoi, said that in the state the Congress would have to defeat the BJP and the AGP for their dangerous postures. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 11, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 11: After the solitary vote defeat of the Vajpayee government in the trial of strength in Parliament, the Lok Sabha seats in Assam have become very important for political parties and senior leaders of all national parties are planning to visit Assam for election campaigning. The fact that the polls in Assam will be held in the last phase also enabled the leaders of the national political parties to finish off their campaigning in other parts of the country and rush to Assam to woo voters. After its impressive performance in the 1998 polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying its best to improve its performance in Assam and a host of senior leaders of the party are planning to visit the state for campaigning. The Union human resource development minister, MM Joshi will pay a two-day visit to the state on September 20 and 21. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the BJP president , Kushabhau Thakre, along with other leaders of the party including Pramod Mahajan, Sushma Swaraj, Sikander Bakht, Vinod Khanna and others too will visit the state for election campaigning. Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee arrived in the state this morning for campaigning. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, is also expected to visit Assam to address election rallies in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Dhubri and Silchar. However, the tour programme of Gandhi has not yet been finalised. The president of the newly formed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sharad Pawar, is also planning to visit the region. According to NCP sources here, Pawar will arrive in the state on September 17. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 12, 1999)

KOHIMA, September 11: The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) has extended support to the decision of the Naga Hoho not to participate in the September 25 Lok Sabha elections in Nagaland holding the poll as "major stumbling block" to the ongoing peace talks with the Centre. The NSCN (I-M) information and publicity in-charge, N Hungshi, in a statement yesterday said it extended full support to the Naga Hoho and other NGO stand of not participating in the poll. The apex tribal body last month had announced its decision but said that it would not call for a boycott of the poll leaving the matter to the wishes of political parties and the electorate. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 13, 1999)

AGARTALA, September 12: The Tripura director-general of police, KTD Singh, today expressed apprehension that insurgents in the state might step up their activities during the Lok Sabha elections as security forces would be inadequate. During the elections, some forces would have to be withdrawn from remote and hilly areas for engaging them on election duties and the ultras might take the opportunity, Singh told reporters here. However, he said the Election Commission (EC) has agreed to recommended the Union government to despatch 26 more companies of paramilitary forces for the October 3 polls. The state has 70 companies of Assam Rifles, CRPF, Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and BSF at present. Singh said the whereabouts of the 17 abducted government officials were yet to be known despite combing operations were launched and army's helicopter pressed into service. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 13, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 12: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has issued the necessary papers to controversial lottery baron Mani Kumar Subba to file nomination papers from Tezpur parliamentary seat. The state working president, Syeda Anowara Taimur, confirmed that Subba was given the necessary papers. Subba's candidature had aroused nationwide interest because of his controversial antecedents as well as his alleged involvement in the lottery scandal of Nagaland. "Since they (Delhi) had given the green signal we issued the papers," said Syeda Taimur. Subba's fate was hanging in balance because of the controversy as several senior Congressmen were opposed to his candidature for his alleged criminal past. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 13, 1999)

IMPHAL, September 13 : The Assam Rifles troops deployed in Manipur will launch counter operations in order to check the insurgent activities in the valley areas in view of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. This was disclosed by the officiating commander of 9 sector, JS Sandhu, while addressing a group of mediapersons here at the historic Kangla Fort. He also maintained that even after the withdrawal of 57 Mountain Division from the state, Assam Rifles has been continuing its counter-insurgency operations in most of the sensitive areas since the last couple of weeks. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 13, 1999)

GUWAHATI, September 14: The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) has termed all parties opposing the move to repeal the controversial Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act as the enemy of the Assamese people. The students' body also reserved special criticism for United People's Party of Assam (UPPA) president Abdul Muhib Mazumder for his stand on the issue of illegal immigrants. The AASU leadership, comprising advisor Samujjal Bhattacharyya, president Prabin Boro and general secretary Amiya Kumar Bhuyan, said that the AASU still believed that a large number of non-eligible people have their names enrolled in the voter's list. "We are, however, going to participate in the poll process on the basis of the assurance of the Election Commission (EC) that there will be a special revision of the electoral rolls in the state from January 1 next year," the AASU said. An assurance of this nature has been given to the AASU during the Chief Election Commissioner, MS Gill's recent visit here. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati, September 15, 1999)