Sadiya (Assam), Sep 6 (IANS) Reaching out to people with the 2011 assembly polls in mind, Assam's main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) Monday apologised for the mistakes it committed during its two tenures in government and also pledged to serve the people with commitment if given a mandate in the next elections.

'Maybe we committed some major mistakes, knowingly or unknowingly, during our past two terms (1985-1989 and 1996-2001) and for that we are tendering a public apology to the people of Assam,' AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary said.

The AGP president was speaking at a massive rally in the eastern Assam town of Sadiya as part of a month-long 'Mass Contact' programme.

'I as the party president would like to make a public commitment today that if voted to power we shall live up to people's expectations and work towards overall development of the state,' Patowary said.

The beleaguered AGP, having lost two consecutive assembly elections (2001 and 2006), has been desperately trying to stage a comeback with elections due sometime in March-April next year.

'We don't want to give false hopes and promises like the Congress government. We would assure livelihood to one and all and that promise we shall fulfil at any cost if we are given the mandate,' the AGP president said.

More than 10,000 people took part in the rally.

'We have not hired vehicles like the Congress to bring these people who braved heavy rains to come and attend the rally,' the AGP president said.

'The Congress has all along been trying to play divisive politics and never bothered for the welfare of the people. We are committed to working with zeal and sincerity.'

Internal bickering, leadership crisis, and successive electoral defeats have literally crumbled the AGP with the party's morale hitting an all time low.

'We need to strengthen our grassroots level workers and reach out to the people to win their confidence back,' former chief minister and senior AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said.