HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Nov 12: Polling for five assembly seats will take place on Wednesday with BJP taking on Congress in direct contest in three assembly constituencies.
The ruling party is fighting in three seats while its allies—Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) have given candidates in two places.
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A total of 34 candidates are in the fray with most of them being first-timers, according to the Election Commission.
Bye-elections in five assembly constituencies—Dholai, Samaguri, Behali, Bongaigaon, and Sidli became due following the elections of five legislators in the lower house of the parliament in this year’s Lok Sabha polls.
Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel told PTI that around 9,000 polling personnel have been engaged to ensure smooth voting across 1,078 polling stations in the five seats.
“All polling parties have left for their booths with the EVM units and many of them have already reached their designated places. The security apparatus has also been in place so that nothing untoward takes place,” he said.
A total of 13 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), comprising about 1,300 personnel, have been deployed for the by-elections, Goel said.
The Dholai assembly constituency is reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and the Sidli seat is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST).
Clashes between BJP and Congress supporters have been reported almost on a daily basis in Samaguri since the bypoll was announced. A number of complaints have been filed by both sides before the Election Commission.
Except in Samaguri, where Congress heavyweight Rakibul Hussain has been winning since 2001, the rest of the four seats are with the BJP-led alliance.
The BJP has given candidates in three seats—Dholai, Samaguri and Behali.
Diplu Ranjan Sarma has been given a ticket in Samaguri while Diganta Ghatowar and Nihar Ranjan Das will fight for the BJP in Behali and Dholai assembly segments respectively.
BJP’s former cabinet minister Parimal Suklabaidya successfully contested in the Silchar Lok Sabha seat and his earlier assembly seat Dholai was vacant. Meanwhile, another senior BJP leader Ranjit Dutta was elected to the lower house of the parliament this time. He was representing the Behali seat in the assembly.
Congress leader Rakibul Hussain defeated the three-time AIUDF MP and party chief Badruddin Ajmal in the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat with a margin of more than 10 lakh votes reinforcing his status as a five-time legislator from the Samuguri assembly seat.
Meanwhile, another ally of the BJP—Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) will contest polls in the Bongaigaon assembly constituency.
United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) gave a ticket to Nirmal Kumar Brahma, who is the current district president of the party in Chirang.
Meanwhile, CM Sarma said, “We will comfortably win four seats and there is a contest in one seat. However, there are possibilities that the BJP and our allies can win all five assembly seats in the upcoming by-elections.”
The chief minister asserted that the people have been connected with the ruling party and they are happy with the government’s performance.
The Samaguri assembly constituency has witnessed sporadic pre-poll violence with supporters of BJP and Congress clashing with each other on several occasions.
On late Saturday night when suspected armed criminals opened fire on a BJP march that included Barhampur MLA Jitu Goswami, injuring at least three people.
Attackers targeted BJP politicians taking part in the march, including MLA Goswami, in the Moriputhi neighbourhood of Samaguri.
According to witnesses, the attackers first pelted stones at the participants before striking them with sticks. Three people were then hurt when unidentified persons opened fire on the group. The attack also caused some damage to Goswami’s car.
Reacting to the incident, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma aimed at the Congress party alleging that the opposition party which does photo-op with the Constitution is actually resorting to violence and attacking the BJP workers.
Sarma claimed that Congress has resorted to violence not because of fearing defeat in the elections but because its fundamental vote bank has made the opposition workers do such extreme things. (With inputs from PTI)
