GUWAHATI, March 24: Congress MLA Bharat Chandra Narah on Sunday resigned as the chairman of the party’s media cell in Assam.
Narah’s resignation comes a day after his wife and former union minister Ranee Narah was denied a party ticket from Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency.
The Congress nominated Uday Shankar Hazarika for the seat.
“I do hereby tender my resignation from my position as chairman of the Media Department, Assam PCC, effective immediately,” Narah wrote in the one-line resignation letter sent to the party’s state unit president Bhupen Kumar Borah.
Ranee Narah and Hazarika, who had quit the ruling BJP a few months ago to join the Congress, were reportedly in close contention for nomination from Lakhimpur, party sources said.
Ranee Narah is a three-time MP from Lakhimpur and has also served one term in the Rajya Sabha.
Though Hazarika is a new face in the party, he has strong support from the state Congress chief, the sources said.
Hazarika is in a straight fight with BJP candidate Pradan Baruah, who is seeking a third successive term in the constituency.
The Congress candidate for Lakhimpur was announced on Saturday, while the party nominees for 12 other seats in the state were declared on March 12.
Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, the Congress is contesting in 13 and supporting the Assam Jaitya Parishad (AJP) nominee in one constituency.
Both the Congress and AJP are members of a 16-party United Opposition Forum, Assam, (UOFA), which was formed to fight the Lok Sabha elections together.
The Congress has three MPs from the state in the outgoing Lok Sabha, while the BJP has nine and one each is held by the AIUDF and an Independent. (PTI)
