In BJP List, Names Of Ex-Congress Leaders, Confirmation On Himanta Sarma Seat

The BJP today released its first list of 88 candidates for the April 9 Assembly polls in Assam. The highlights of the list include a ticket for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from Jalukbari, which he has won five times in a row.

Also noteworthy is the BJP's poll passes to former state Congress chief Bhupen Borah and Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi, who recently joined the BJP.

Sarma, a firebrand leader who was earlier with the Congress, led the BJP to victory in the 2021 Assembly polls. Five years on, Sarma is looking for another win. The BJP leadership, it is learnt, is impressed with him, and he is likely to retain the Chief Minister post if the BJP comes to power in Assam.

Sarma has been winning the Jalukbari seat since 2001. He won it thrice as a Congress candidate before switching to the BJP in 2015. In the 2016 and 2021 elections, he retained Jalukbari and is now looking for his sixth consecutive victory.

The Congress, now led by Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi as state party chief, is struggling after several big-ticket exits. Last month, former state Congress chief Bhupen Borah joined the BJP after publicly criticising Gogoi's leadership.

And yesterday, two-time Lok Sabha MP and former state minister Pradyut Bordoloi quit the Congress and joined the BJP. Bordoloi said he was "insulted", and the Congress leadership did not support him.

Responding to the big-ticket exit, Gogoi said it was "an unfortunate decision". "Just two years ago, the Congress Party offered him the opportunity to contest the Lok Sabha ticket from Nagaon... and in this present election, the Congress Party offered an opportunity to a member of his family to contest the Vidhan Sabha elections. Despite that, he made a decision which is his personal decision," he said.

The BJP has fielded both these turncoats. While Borah is contesting from Bihpuria, Bordoloi is the BJP candidate from Dispur. Sitting MLAs Amiya Kumar Bhuyan (Bihpuria) and Atul Bora (Dispur) have been dropped. 

The BJP has dropped 11 MLAs in the first list, and the second list of 38 candidates will show if any of them are accommodated in another seat.

State ministers Pijush Hazarika, Jayanta Malla Baruah, Ashok Singhal, Ajanta Neog, Chandramohan Patwari and Rupesh Gowala have retained their seats. Nandita Garlosa, who represents Haflong, has not been fielded from there this time.

Former state BJP chief and former minister Siddartha Bhattacharya has not been given a poll pass. Biswajit Daimary, Assam Assembly Speaker, will contest the polls from Tamulpur. Former Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami will take on Gaurav Gogoi in Jorhat.