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Assam Elections: BJP Unveils First List for Assam Polls, Turncoats Get Key Seats

Party names 88 candidates, banks on defectors and incumbency as it eyes a second term in Assam.

On March 18, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, left, and BJP Assam president Dilip Saikia, right, welcome Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi into the Bharatiya Janata Party, in New Delhi.  PTI
Fozia Yasin

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Summary

  • Sarma to contest from Jalukbari; BJP fields 88 candidates, one seat pending.

  • Former Congress leaders, including Pradyut Bordoloi and Bhupen Kumar Borah, given tickets after switching sides.

  • BJP contests 89 seats, leaving 37 to allies Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland Peoples Front; voting on April 9.

The BJP on Thursday released its first list of 88 candidates for the Assam assembly polls, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from Jalukbari seat.

The party named former Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi as its candidate from Dispur assembly seat. Bordoloi joined the BJP on Wednesday.

Bhupen Kumar Borah, who also joined the BJP from Congress recently will contest from Bihpura seat.

The party is contesting 89 of the 126 seats, leaving 37 to its allies Asom Gana Parishad (26) and Bodoland Peoples Front (11). 

Candidate for Sissiborgaon has not been decided yet.

Sarma will contest from Jalukbari near Guwahati, from where he has won five consecutive elections since 2001.

Turncoat Congress lawmakers Sashi Kanta Das and Kamalakhya De Purkayastha have been given tickets from the Raha and Katigorah seats. Another Congress lawmaker, Basanta Das, who joined the BJP last month, does not figure on the list.

Former assembly speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami has been fielded against Congress state chief Gaurav Gogoi from Jorhat. The list includes five women, while 18 lawmakers have been denied tickets.

Veteran lawmaker Atul Bora, who has been denied a ticket, said he could contest as an independent or support the Congress candidate from Dispur. 

The announcement comes after the Election Commission declared the poll schedule last week. Voting for the 126-member Assam assembly will be held in a single phase on April 9, with counting slated for May 4.

The BJP is seeking to retain power in the state, with Sarma aiming for another term as chief minister. In the 2021 elections, the National Democratic Alliance, comprising the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad and United People’s Party Liberal, secured 75 seats, with the BJP winning 60.

The first list of candidates was finalised by the BJP’s Central Election Committee at its meeting presided over by party president Nitin Nabin here on Wednesday evening.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other members of the BJP poll body.

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BJP Assam unit chief Dilip Saikia was also present at the meeting.

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BJP Assembly Polls Assam Elections