Skip to content Skip to navigation

Straight fight awaits Majuli by polls

By AT News |
Majuli-AJP Candidate Chittaranjan Basumatary
Majuli-AJP Candidate Chittaranjan Basumatary

Majuli: A straight fight between ruling and opposition awaits Majuli in the assembly by polls slated for March 7. The fight is believed to be a tough one if one goes through the electioneering heat and dust that gathers momentum with rallies and road shows on every passing day on the largest river island on the planet.

With Bhuban Gam, the ruling BJP is all out to retain the seat, hardly a year after Sarbananda Sonowal won the seat as Chief Minister. As many as 7 ministers and MLAs are campaigning for Gam, who is known for his close association with Sonowal, the Union minister. “It’s a matter of prestige for BJP. Sonowal was elected twice and took oath as Chief Minister in 2016. In 2021 he was elected but only to be inducted as Union minister,” said a BJP leader who is working round the clock to ensure the party’s by poll victory.

The Opposition camp is also going all out against BJP with Chittaranjan Basumatary as the consensus candidate. Congress left the seat for AJP as the arrangement was fixed during the last assembly polls. Raijor Dal, CPI, CPM have also supported Basumatary, a resident of Dhemaji who was defeated at the hands of Ranoj Pegu by a narrow margin of votes.        

But simmering resentment among a section of BJP workers might benefit the AJP candidate if the sources are to be believed. Gam, was not a natural choice for a section of party leaders and workers who wanted Pradan Baruah as the candidate. But that did not happen.

“We are open to help AJP candidate. BJP must be defeated. This is what we want to show,” said Raijor Dal MLA from Sivasagar, Akhil Gogoi.

Congress president Bhupen Bora said, ”we will use all might to help our consensus candidate win Majuli seat. Let the pride of BJP be washed away. We have left the seat to AJP as per our earlier arrangement.”

Nearly a dozen Congress leaders are camping on the river island to run the show. “The people of Majuli are very wise. They are well aware of what BJP has done after they elected the Chief Minister from this constituency. They have realized it and have reposed faith in us. Let the Opposition unity begin from this constituency,” said AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi.

Polling is slated to begin on March 7 while the counting will take place on March 10. The bypoll was necessited after Sarbananda Sonowal was elected to the Rajya Sabha after he was inducted into the Union cabinet in July last year. 

Add new comment

Random Stories

Railways’ electrification may result in losses

17 Feb 2009 - 7:02pm | Daya Nath Singh
Indian Railways have planned early electrification of entire tracks in the country without imagining the problems to be faced by the people in future. So long the government’s scheme to...

AASAA launching fresh stir

20 Mar 2015 - 10:29am | AT News
The All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam (AASAA) is launching a series of fresh stirs from Saturday raising the old demands which have yet to be met.  On Saturday, AASAA activists will...

Gogoi slams Modi on Dadri incident

9 Oct 2015 - 10:23pm | AT News
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi lambasted Narendra Modi on Friday allegedly that the Prime Minister has been maintaining a stoic silence on the Dadri incident where a 50 year old man was pu t death...

Centre sends instructions for NE states

25 Jan 2008 - 11:43am | editor
The Union home ministry has sent a slew of instructions for the north eastern states to deal with any situation during the Republic Day celebrations in the region. These instructions ask the state...

Other Contents by Author

Assam,Meghalaya claim border row

New Delhi: Assam and Meghalaya claimed to have settled an interstate border dispute in 6 places at a meeting of Chief Ministers with the Union's home minister in New Delhi on Tuesday. The agreement was formally signed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta  Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma after a meeting that evening. Speaking to reporters waiting outside, the Chief Ministers claimed to have settled a decade-long issue in 6 areas and hoped for the same solution in 6 other remaining areas.  But both sides refused to divulge the details of the agreement, which is likely to trigger protests and anger among people living along the disputed border areas....

Tough time for Congress in Rajya Sabha poll

Guwahati: Congress leadership in the state is holding a series of brainstorming meetings in Guwahati to ensure smooth passage of opposition consensus candidate Ripun Bora in the Rajya Sabha polls slated for Wednesday. AICC leader Jitendra Singh is monitoring the entire process amid a growing internal rift in the party where a few party legislators are unlikely to help Bora. Raha MLA Sashikanta Das participated in BJP’s programme on the Rajya Sabha meeting in the capital city on Sunday, a few days after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited him. However, a growing difference with AIUDF is making it difficult for Ripun Bora to win the polls after AIUDF openly castigated Samoguri...

MLA upset of ruling on cross voting

Guwahati: Independent MLA from Sivasagar has strongly objected to the state assembly Speaker’s ruling on cross voting in the Rajya Sabha polls. Gogoi said that it was not proper for the Speaker to say that nobody could be disqualified for cross voting in the Rajya Sabha polls. He further alleged the partial role of Assembly Speaker Biswajeet Daimary, accusing him of disrupting the Opposition party MLAs.    

MLA alleges open killing, demands probe

Guwahati: Amid an uproar in the assembly on Monday over the alleged incidents of police ‘encounter’, independent MLA Akhil Gogoi demanded a judicial probe into each of the incidents. Participating in the brief but heated discussion on the alleged incident, the legislator from Sivasagar said that these incidents have gone up during the last couple of months. He further alleged the regime's use of open killing, unlike the secret killing during the AGP regime.    

Artist picked up for anti dam paintings

Dhemaji: Arunachal Police have picked up a renowned artist in northern Assam for his painting work opposing the controversial NHPC-owned mega dam in Gerukamukh. Popularly known as Nilim Mahanta, the budding artist was picked up from his home by a group in Arunachal Pradesh.A wall has become a protest site in #Itanagar No more dam painted over hydro mural to celebrate 50th year of renaming #Arunachal .Protest and art go hand in hand. Not too late! pic.twitter.com/SByVOFq0d9— Tongam Rina (@tongamrina) March 27, 2022 Many parties, organizations and local residents have strongly condemned the arrest of the artist and demanded immediate and unconditional release.   ...

GMC poll schedule likely to be revised

Guwahati: A mounting pressure from the major political parties is likely to force the state election authority to revise the schedule for the upcoming GMC polls slated for April 19.      Major political parties have moved state election offices demanding a revised schedule of GMC polls covering 60 wards in the capital city. BJP was the first to have moved the authority, saying the schedule will hamper Bihu celebrations from April 14. Then Congress staged Dharna in front of Rajiv Bhawn on Saturday, raising the same demand. Party leaders slammed the poll authority, alleging it was an insensitive decision. The main opposition party demanded that the schedule be...

বিজেপিৰ প্ৰতি ফেচবুকৰ দুৰ্বলতা কিয়?

 ২০২০ চনৰ অক্টোব মাহত ভাৰতীয় জনতা পাৰ্টীয়ে ফেচবুকত এটা বিজ্ঞাপন চলাইছিল যে প্ৰতিদ্বন্দী ৰাষ্ট্ৰীয় জনতা দলৰ মুখ্যমন্ত্ৰী পদৰ আশাবাদী তেজস্বী যাদৱে এজন ৰাজনীতিবিদক হত্যা কৰাত গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ ভূমিকা পালন কৰিছিল। বিজ্ঞাপনৰ শিৰোনামটোত লিখা আছিল: "তেজস্বী যাদৱে আৰজেডি কৰ্মী শক্তি মালিকক ভাবুকি দি কৈছিল, 'মই লালু প্ৰসাদৰ পুত্ৰ আৰু উপ মুখ্যমন্ত্ৰী। যদি তুমি বেছি কথা কোৱা, মই তোমাক খতম কৰি দিম। ভাবুকিটো সঁচা আছিল। শক্তি মালিকক তেজস্বীয়ে ভাবুকি দিছিল।" পিছত, বিহাৰ আৰক্ষীয়ে গম পাই যে মালিকক তেওঁৰ ব্যৱসায়িক প্ৰতিদ্বন্দীয়ে হত্যা কৰিছিল। অৱশ্যে, মাত্ৰ এদিনতে ফেচবুকে বিজ্ঞাপনটো 150,000-175,000 বাৰ দেখুৱাইছিল; বেছিভাগ বিহাৰৰ পুৰুষ ভোটাৰলৈ। তাৰ বাবে, বিজেপিয়ে ফেচবুকক প্ৰতিটো দৰ্শনত মাত্ৰ 4,...

TET teachers storm Guwahati

The Assam contractual teachers' association on Thursday staged a massive protest in support of various demands, including the regularization of jobs. Thousands of teachers who arrived from different parts of the state took part in the protest held in front of the Directorate of Elementary Education office in Kahilipara. The protesters raised slogans and demanded that the government take immediate action to regularize their jobs. They alleged that the ruling BJP promised to regularize their service if they were voted in. But post-election, the BJP-led government downplayed the contractual TET teacher's demands. “They promised us the fulfillment of our demands. But now they are doing...

GMC polls on April 19

Guwahati: After months of will-it-won’t-it, the state election commission on Wednesday announced the schedule for the Guwahati Municipal Corporation. The poll for the state’s largest urban local body will take place on April 19 covering 60 wards. According to official information, 7,96,829 voters will exercise their franchise at 789 booths from 7-30 in the morning till 5.30 in the afternoon. The authorities have announced the notification where the model code of conduct has come into force. Counting will take place on April 21.  

RS polls: Three candidates vie for 2 seats

Guwahati: Congress candidate Ripun Bora along with BJP, UPPL Pabitra Margherita and Rwngwra Narzary have filed nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election for 2 seats slated for March 31. Bora, the incumbent elder, filed his nomination papers accompanied by 43 Opposition MLAs in the morning while Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was present when Margerita and Narzary filed their nomination papers before the returning officer on Monday. The BJP is sure of smooth sailing in one seat (Margherita) while cross voting might hamper the prospect of Ripun Bora much to the benefit of the UPPL candidate.  The polling will take place on March 31. The results are expected on the...