Senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, is once again contesting from the Nazira constituency.
For the Saikia family, Nazira has long been a political stronghold, with both of his parents having represented the seat at different times.
Who Is Debabrata Saikia?
Born on December 14, 1964, in Nazira in Sivasagar district, Saikia comes from a prominent political family. His father, Hiteswar Saikia, served two terms as Chief Minister of Assam, from 1983 to 1985 and again from 1991 to 1996.
Between these tenures, Hiteswar Saikia was appointed the first Governor of Mizoram following the Mizoram Peace Accord.
His mother, Hemoprova Saikia, also held key political roles. She served as a minister in the Assam government under Tarun Gogoi and represented Nazira as an MLA for two terms between 1996 and 2006.
Saikia completed his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calcutta before entering politics.
He began his political career in 1991 with the Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, serving as general secretary between 1992 and 1993 and as vice president from 1993 to 1996.
Saikia contested the Nazira Assembly seat for the first time in 2011 and won, marking his entry into electoral politics. He retained the seat in 2016 and again in 2021.
He was appointed Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly in 2016.
Despite his electoral record, the upcoming contest is expected to be closely fought. In 2021, Saikia defeated BJP candidate Mayur Borgohain by a margin of just 683 votes.
He is set to face Borgohain again in 2026, with the BJP aiming to turn the narrow margin in its favour.
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