Assam: BJP supporters celebrate in Samaguri after bye-election
Guwahati (The Uttam Hindu): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters in Assam's Samaguri celebrated on Wednesday, claiming that they will win this Assembly seat in the bye-election. A senior BJP leader said, "We will definitely win this seat ousting the Congress party." These five Assembly constituencies -- Dholai, Samaguri, Behali, Bongaigaon, and Sidli became vacant following the elections of five legislators in the lower house of the Parliament in this year's Lok Sabha polls.
The Dholai Assembly constituency is reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and the Sidli seat is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST). 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 was given a ticket in Samaguri while Diganta Ghatowar and Nihar Ranjan Das are contesting on a BJP ticket in Behali and Dholai Assembly constituencies respectively.
BJP's former Cabinet Minister Parimal Suklabaidya successfully contested the Silchar Lok Sabha seat and his earlier Assembly seat in Dholai was left vacant. 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 Samaguri Assembly seat.
The ally of the BJP -- Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is contesting polls in the Bongaigaon Assembly constituency while United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) gave a ticket to Nirmal Kumar Brahma in Sidli seat, who is the current district president of the party in Chirang. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "We will comfortably win four seats and there is contest in one seat. However, there are possibilities that the BJP and our allies can win all five Assembly seats in the upcoming bye-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 the BJP and Congress clashing with each other on several occasions.
