Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma being garlanded throughout a roadshow in help of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) candidate from Barpeta constituency Phani Bhushan Choudhary for Lok Sabha polls, at Sualkuchi in Kamrup on May 5.
| Photo Credit: ANI
GUWAHATI
The marketing campaign for the third and closing phase of elections throughout 4 Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam ended on May 5.
More than 80 lakh individuals will determine the destiny of 47 candidates in the Barpeta, Dhubri, Guwahati, and Kokrajhar constituencies on May 7.
Most of these seats, the place Bengal-origin Muslims play a decisive position, haven’t been the strongholds of both the BJP or arch-rivals Congress in latest occasions. But whereas the BJP has left three of the seats to its regional allies, the Congress is contesting all of them.
BJP repeats 2019 technique
The BJP repeated its 2019 technique by allotting the Barpeta and Dhubri constituencies to ally and NDA constituent Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). It additionally left the Scheduled Tribe-reserved Kokrajhar seat to its different ally, the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
The NDA has been upbeat in this phase owing to a few of elements – the 2023 delimitation that turned Barpeta right into a Hindu-majority seat and the disqualification of Kokrajhar’s incumbent “bloc-neutral” MP Naba Kumar Sarania owing to an ST certificates discovered invalid by the Gauhati High Court.
The AGP, allegedly sad with the BJP in 2019 for having been given “tough” seats, is predicted to search out it simpler in Barpeta this time. Pointing to the delimitation train, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma mentioned throughout the marketing campaign that his get together gave the AGP a winnable constituency.
The AGP is betting on former Minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury for a Parliament berth after 10 years. His chances are high believed to have brightened as a result of of the potential division of anti-NDA votes amongst Deep Bayan of Congress, Manoranjan Talukdar of CPI(M), and Abul Kalam Azad of Trinamool Congress.
These three events are constituents of the Assam model of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
The AGP, nonetheless, is predicted to search out it more durable in Dhubri, a constituency bordering Bangladesh typically used as a metaphor for Assam’s “illegal migrants” downside. Dhubri has been a bastion of the Maulana Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which is believed to have eaten into the Muslim vote financial institution of Congress since its formation in 2005.
The AGP’s Zabed Islam is up in opposition to Mr. Ajmal, who’s searching for his fourth straight time period, and former Minister Rakibul Hussain of Congress, which has gained floor as a result of of a perceived erosion of help from the minorities for the AIUDF.
In Kokrajhar, Mr. Sarania’s ineligibility is believed to have made it that a lot simpler for the UPPL’s Joyanta Mushahary whose primary rivals are former extremist Kampa Borgoyary of the Bodoland People’s Front, a former ally of the BJP, Garjan Mashahary of Congress, and Binita Deka of the Gana Suraksha Party.
The contest in Guwahati is predicted to be a straight one between Bijuli Kalita Medhi of BJP and Mira Borthakur Goswami of Congress. Having labored up her means in the BJP from the grassroots, Ms Medhi changed incumbent Queen Oja, who like her predecessor Bijoya Chakravarty is an import from the AGP.
The BJP (Guwahati) and the Congress (Barpeta) gained one of these 4 seats every in 2019.