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Mahanta asks for more troops

Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has requested the Centre to provide 350 companies of additional forces in the state for the general election.

The chief minister said about 50 companies have been shifted to Nagaland and other parts of the state.

He said his government apprehended violence, and has already taken counter measures.

Speaking about the militants's recent attacks on army and police officials in Guwahati, the chief minister said his government had earlier instructed the officers not to move without proper security.

Mahanta said his wife Jayashree Goswami would contest from the Nagaon constituency. The matter was decided by the AGP steering committee, not by him, he claimed.

Asked to comment on the AGP's refusal to give ticket to Union minister and sitting MP Muhiram Saikia, Mahanata said it was the party's decision. He had not interfered in the matter at all.

According to the ruling alliance's understanding, of the 14 seats the AGP would field candidates in seven constituencies: Guwahati, Nagaong, Mangaldoi, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Arimganj and Rezpur.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist will contest in Barpeta and Silchar, while the Communist Party of India will have the Dhubri seat. The Dibrugarh seat has been earmarked for the Janata Dal.

Mahanta said the four-party alliance has not finalised the candidate for Kokrajhar, though it had announced a name. Talks were still going on with the Peoples Democratic Front and some other tribal groups for a consensus candidate, he said.

The chief minister was confident that the alliance would win at least 10 seats. The contest would be a tri-angular one -- between the alliance, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"The main contest will be between us and the Congress," he said.

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