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. 

  • 15569 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Assam Cong MLAs meet in Dispur

A brainstorming legislature party meet of Assam Congress is trying to sort out differences among a section of ministers and MLAs. The crucial meet, first time in the history, has begun at the Assam assembly premises at 10 in the morning on Saturday where a section  ofMLAs and ministers stressed expedited development process to woo the voters in the upcoming general elections. The ministers and MLAs, known to be closed to dissident leader Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma were expected to vent open anger against chief minister and a few of his associates. But there is hardly any possibility in view of high command's instruction to keep quiet.

APCC to Himanta

Dissident ministers and MLAs held a number of meetings to clear strategies to corner chief minister Tarun Gogoi and his trusted ministers in the CLP meet on Saturday. The chief minister also is in touch with some influential leaders to overpower the dissident camp. Senior MLAs Sarat Borkotoky and Anjan Dutta are likely to back Gogoi. But they want an immediate reshuffle in the council of ministers. Nobody from AICC is there in the meeting.

JFA expresses grave concern at news channel closure

Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) has expressed grave concern at the shut down of Prime News by its management leaving more than 170 employees including journalists jobless. Extending supports to various protest demonstrations organized by the Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) against the closure notice of the 24x7 satellite news channel, the JFA has urged the State chief minister Tarun Gogoi to intervene on the mater for the benefit of the affected employees of Prime News.The employees of the Guwahati based private news channel, lately run by the Suresh Prithani owned Brahmaputra Infrastructure private limited, had informed that the news channel was shut down on October 1 citing the reason...

Grenade blast in Diphu

A grenade explosion seems to have oozed no less panic in Diphu during the 24-hour long KNLA-sponsored Karbi Anglong bandh on Friday.The explosion took place beside a petrol pump at the Manja Market in the evening. No one has been injured in the blast and nobody has seen the miscreants who lobbed the grenade.The seizure of a UPLF demand letter from the spot suggests the involvement of the insurgent outfit.

Khosla new Chief Secy

Jitesh Khosla will take over as new Chief Secretary on Tuesday. Khosla, the Additional Chief Secretary will succeed PP Verma will be retiring on September 30.

SEBA gets new chairman

The Assam Government has appointed Binod Sessan as as the temporary chairman of the Board of Secondary Education, Assam. The appointment has come into force from Friday. The sitting mission director of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan has succeeded Shantikam Hazarika who was asked to go on leave. 

Gadapani chargesheet out

A string of sensational disclosure has come to light in the chargesheet in the Gadapani Pathak murder case.In its charge sheet, CID has named 12 people, including KLO militants and contractors. The charge sheet has disclosed a Rs 50 lakh deal with KLO for releasing Faizul Islam.Pathak, a Superintending Engineer in the Agriculture department was abducted by suspected KLO militants along with another Agriculture department official Faizul Islam on May 2, 2012. Although Faizul was later released, bullet- ridden body of Pathak was recovered.Police investigation named Hiranya Roy (KLO), Karan Barman (KLO), Amit Roy (contractor), Pradeep Roy alias Raghu (KLO), Uttam Roy (contractor), Bimal Brahma...

AKRSU chief attacked

A split seems to have emerged in AKRSU just before the attack on it president Biswajit Roy on Friday.A section of AKRSU belonging to the rival faction is believed to have attacked Roy A youths attacked Roy when he was at Borpara in the afternoon.Roy was assaulted a day after had made some comments in support of Bodoland at Kokrajhar in a meeting with BTC chief Hagrama Mahilary.

3 NDFB militants nabbed

Bagsa police have arrested three hardcore NDFB militants on Friday.The militants were captured from Salbari area when they were on the way to extort money from a businessman.Four militants reached a construction to extort money from the contractor. In the absence of the contractor, they asked his assistants to pay money and left the spot. Later, the local residents overpowered them and after being assaulted the trio were handed over to police.

ULFA militant killed in Goalpara

Police claimed to have killed a hardcore ULFA militant at an encounter in Goalpara district on Tuesday.The encounter took place at Dudhnoi bordering Meghalaya during an operation led by Guwahati police. Acting on a tip off, Guwahati police launched an operation before the encounter took place in the morning.