Former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is facing a tough political challenge from within the party that he formed 20 years ago.

Mahanta has been served with a show cause notice by the steering committee of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) for alleged anti-party activities. He has been asked to reply within 10 days or else face stern disciplinary action.

"There is always a limit to everything. If Mahanta fails to reply to the notice on time, we may have to take strong action, including the option of expelling him from the party," said a senior AGP general secretary, requesting anonymity.

But the reticent founder president of the AGP seems unfazed by the fact that a section of the present leadership wants his expulsion.

"I have not yet decided whether to send a reply or not," Mahanta told IANS.

"I have not done or said anything against the party.  Whatever I did was aimed at strengthening the AGP to oust the ruling Congress party from power in the upcoming assembly elections."

This is the second time in less than a year that Mahanta has been served with a show cause notice by the party for violating the its code of conduct. He, however, came out of the crisis last time by personally appearing before the AGP's steering committee and clarifying his stand.

A bitter power struggle within the AGP has cost the party dear with the ruling Congress routing the regional conglomeration in the 2001 assembly elections.

Soon after the polls, Mahanta was removed as party president on an alleged bigamy charge. Mahanta, however, denied the allegations.

After being sidelined from the party, Mahanta continued to mobilise support in select constituencies and time and again ridiculed the functioning of the AGP under new president Brindaban Goswami. Now there are indications that Mahanta might form a splinter faction of the AGP.

"I cannot say anything on forming a new party at this moment," he said. A section within the AGP wants Mahanta back as its leader, saying the present president was 'indecisive' and lacked the charisma to lead a party. 

For many regional and national political party leaders outside Assam, Mahanta is still held in high esteem and even referred to as the AGP president, even though he ceased to be the party chief in 2001.

Former defence minister George Fernandes who was in Guwahati recently told journalists that a scheduled meeting with "AGP president Mahanta" had to be cancelled due to the unavailability of the leader. 

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, during his visit to Guwahati, also referred to Mahanta as the AGP president.

The revolt within the AGP has once again come as a boon for the Congress party in Assam ahead of the state elections early next year.

"How can the AGP even claim to come to power when it is not sure who its leader is?" a senior Congress leader asked.