Thursday, September 15 2005 15:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: At least seven persons were killed and several others injured in explosions in three crackers' god own at Miyantoli under Khusurupur police station, about 30 km froin Patna, today (Sept 15, 2005), police said formed in 1985, is supported by four sitting MLAs and former ministers Sahidul Alam Choudhury, Utpal Dutta, Gunin Hazarika and Bubul Das and also claims the support of 23 of the 26 district committees of the party.

Chief Convener of the Peoples' convention Sahidul Alam Choudhury told reporters before the meeting that Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) President Brindabon Goswami had 'undemocratically'z expelled a number of senior leaders, including Mahanta, threatening regional politics.

The convention began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Mahanta.

Subsequently a closed-door meeting was being held where the decision to form a new body was expected to be finalized.

Mahanta, two times Chief Minister of the state, was removed from the top post of the party in 2001 and finally expelled on July 3 this year for alleged anti-party activities.

Following Mahanta's expulsion, AGP's youth wing Asom Yuba Parishad had split on July 21 followed by a split in the women's wing Asom Mahila Parishad on July 31 with the breakaway groups pledging support to Mahanta.

Patna District Magistrate B Rajendra said twenty persons were feared killed in the explosions.

Officer incharge of Khusrupur police station Nirmal Kumar told sources that the godowns were blown up in the explosions caused by the burst of powerful crackers and gas cylinders, which were also stored in the godowns. The godowns too went off in which several workers engaged in the manufacture of crackers got trapped.

Seven laborers died on the spot. Several others who suffered burns in the explosions were rushed to different hospitals. March threw a challenge to the Communist Party of India (CPI) Marxist (M) that farmers will ensure that CPI (M) does not return to power in next elections to the state assembly in 2006.

"The CPI(M) is dreaming that it will perpetuate its misrule till 2010 in West Bengal. The farmers have learnt with their experience that CPI (M) has become friend of landlords", she said.

" Now they are even trying to take away land from the poor farmers to hand it over the foreign industrialists", she told a rally of party workers at the busy Esplanade in central Kolkata after the march.

Even when the rain threatened to disrupt the meeting, she continued the march with policemen in jeeps following it up as the commuters and those who ventured out for forthcoming Durga puja shopping had a trying time due to the disruption.

Trinamool Congress virtually sought to hijack the CPI (M)'s slogan that 'land belonged to those who plough it' to launch its protest movement against what she said the Buddhadev Bhattacherjee Government's plans to hand over agricultural land to Salim group.