HT Correspondent
GOSSAIGAON, Sept 7: In a significant political development ahead of the BTC Council elections scheduled for September 22, nine candidates withdrew their nomination papers on Sunday across five constituencies under Gossaigaon subdivision in Kokrajhar district.
According to official records, a total of 58 candidates had filed nominations in these constituencies.
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With the close of the withdrawal deadline, nine candidates formally pulled out of the contest.
Among the notable withdrawals, Nileswar Roy, who had filed as an independent after being denied a BJP ticket from the 2 No Guma constituency, withdrew his nomination in the presence of Cabinet Minister Ashok Singhal at the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer.
Addressing the media, Roy stated that he was withdrawing his candidature out of respect for the party’s ideology, despite earlier disappointment when the BJP high command chose Sajal Singh as its official candidate from Guma.
Roy, a former president of the Guma BJP Mandal, had initially entered the fray in protest but finally stepped back in deference to party leadership.
In addition to Roy, two other independents—Gopin Hasda and Jeshu Mardi—also withdrew from Guma constituency.
Meanwhile, in 3 No Srirampur constituency, independents Olchen Kumar Kisku, Saijul Islam, and Junas Marandi withdrew their papers.
Similarly, Biligraham Wary from Jamduar (4 No. constituency), Lalji Narzary from Sarabil (5 No.), and Bishwasingh Mushahary from Kachugaon (6 No.) also exited the race.
Confirming the developments, Gossaigaon District Returning Officer Mridul Kumar Shivhare announced that the nine candidates had officially withdrawn their nominations within the stipulated timeframe.
This wave of withdrawals, particularly the return of Nileswar Roy into the BJP fold, is being viewed as a strategic consolidation move by the ruling party to strengthen its official candidates’ prospects in the BTC polls.
