Guwahati, Mar 23: Candidates of all political hues, including ministers, state unit presidents, turncoats and former MPs, filed their nominations for the Assam assembly elections on the last day for submitting documents on Monday.
The BJP-led NDA, comprising the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), is seeking a third straight term in the state.
The main opposition party, Congress, is leading a six-party alliance comprising Raijor Dal, CPI(M), Assam Jaitya Parishad, CPI(ML) Liberation and All Party Hill Leaders Conference.
Other parties, including the Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), have also fielded their candidates for the April 9 elections.
Among the ministers in the current government who filed their papers are AGP president Atul Bora for his Bokakhat constituency. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The other AGP member in the state cabinet, Keshab Mahanta, also filed his nomination seeking re-election from Kaliabor.
Chandra Mohan Patowary filed his papers for Tihu constituency, Ranoj Pegu for Dhemaji, Bimal Borah for Tingkhong and Jayanta Malla Baruah for Nalbari.
Other BJP candidates who filed their nominations included former MP Pallab Lochan Das (Biswanath), incumbent MLAs Rupjyoti Kurmi (Mariani) and Mrinal Saikia (Khumtai).
Hitendra Nath Goswami, pitted against state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, also filed his nomination seeking re-election from Jorhat constituency.
Former Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah, who had recently joined the BJP, also submitted his papers for Bihpuria seat.
The ruling alliance candidates for four of the assembly constituencies in Kamrup Metropolitan district which comes under Guwahati Lok Sabha seat — BJP’s Vijay Gupta (Central Guwahati), Diplu Ranjan Sharma (New Guwahati), Pradyut Bordoloi (Dispur) and AGP’s Tapan Das (Dimoria) — also filed their nominations.
Among Congress candidates who filed their nominations on the last day are Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, who submitted his documents for Jorhat seat after leading a massive procession, making his electoral foray in the assembly polls.
Within hours of joining the Congress on Sunday night, Nandita Garlosa, who was a cabinet minister in the current government, filed her nomination from Haflong on Monday.
The party’s candidates for Guwahati seats — Mira Borthakur (Dispur), Santanu Borah (New Guwahati) and Bidisha Neog (Jalukbari) — also filed their nominations.
AJP nominees who filed their papers include Kunki Choudhury for Central Guwahati and Jagdish Bhuyan for Sadiya.
AIUDF chief and former MP Badruddin Ajmal also filed his nomination, seeking to return to the state assembly, from Binnakandi constituency.
This will be the first assembly elections after the delimitation of constituencies in 2023. Counting of votes will be done on May 4.
In the outgoing assembly, the ruling BJP’s strength is 64, while its allies AGP has nine MLAs, UPPL has seven and BPF has three members.
In the opposition camp, the Congress has 26 MLAs, AIUDF has 15 members and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is an Independent legislator as well.
