HT Correspondent
JORHAT, March 27: Bharatiya Janata Party’s Topon Gogoi on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections amidst a show of robust support from prominent leaders.
Accompanied by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, minister Keshab Mahanta, and Union minister Rameshwar Teli, Gogoi presented his candidacy papers to Jorhat district collector Pulak Mahanta, who serves as the returning officer for the 14th Jorhat parliamentary constituency.
The Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency encompasses ten Assembly constituencies spanning Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Majuli island districts, representing a diverse demographic.
Besides Gogoi, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and Ranjit Dutta also filed their nominations for the Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier in the day, the chief minister addressed a mammoth election rally at the Jorhat Stadium, drawing a significant turnout of enthusiastic supporters, particularly women and youths.
Expressing gratitude for the overwhelming response, Sarma exuded confidence in retaining the seat with a substantial victory margin.
He urged voters to rally behind the BJP candidate, emphasising the need to fortify Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for a third consecutive term to sustain the trajectory of development initiated in 2014.
Sarma also underscored the importance of electing a representative who would augment the Prime Minister’s endeavours rather than resort to adversarial politics within the Parliament.
“We want an MP, who would strengthen the PM’s hand for taking our country forward on the road to progress and prosperity, but not an MP who would always attack him in the Parliament,” Sarma said.
Highlighting the transformative initiatives spearheaded by the Modi-led government, Sarma reiterated the Prime Minister’s commitment to uplifting farmers, women, youths, and marginalised sections of society.
He also lauded Modi’s affinity towards Assam and the northeastern region, citing numerous visits and gestures symbolising solidarity.
Referring to Modi’s recent visit to Kaziranga National Park, Sarma praised the Prime Minister’s endorsement of conservation efforts, exemplified by his overnight stay and subsequent safari, which garnered widespread attention.
Encouraging voters to propagate the message of BJP’s vision for progress and prosperity, Sarma hailed the substantial strides witnessed under the BJP-led government’s tenure, asserting that Jorhat parliamentary constituency would reap the benefits of this transformative agenda.
Following the nomination filing, Sarma joined Topon Gogoi atop an open vehicle as they embarked on a procession through the city streets, symbolising solidarity and momentum towards the upcoming elections.
In a parallel development, the Congress party and United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA)-backed candidate Gaurav Gogoi unveiled a poll campaign song at the Jorhat district Congress office.
Gogoi had submitted his nomination papers a day earlier.
It may be mentioned here that altogether five candidates (including BJP and Congress) have filed nomination papers for the Jorhat seat till Wednesday, the last date of filing nomination.
The other three candidates are: Arun Chandra Handique of Ekam Sanatan Bharat Dal, Rajkumar Duarah and Baba Kurmi, both Independents.
