Ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Assam scheduled for April 19, a total of 38 candidates, including prominent figures like Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, have officially entered the electoral fray, announced an election official.
As many as 26 candidates submitted their papers on the final day of nomination filing on Wednesday. Notable among them are sitting BJP MP Topon Gogoi in Jorhat, Rajya Sabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa in Kaziranga, and MLA Ranjit Dutta in Sonitpur.
The constituencies participating in the initial phase are Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, and Kaziranga.
Accompanied by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gogoi and Tasa submitted their nominations in Jorhat and Golaghat respectively. CM Himanta expressed confidence in their victories, highlighting their support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for a third consecutive term.
In Jorhat, besides Topon Gogoi, four other candidates, including Arun Chandra Handique of the Sanatan Bharat Party and two Independents, filed nominations.
Kaziranga witnesses a showdown between Tasa and former MLA and Congress candidate Roselina Tirkey.
In Sonitpur, BJP MLA Ranjit Dutta filed his nomination, facing competition from Congress candidate Prem Lal Ganju, among others.
The constituency saw a diverse range of contenders, including representatives from AAP, Voters Party International, Bodo Peoples’ Front, Bahujan Maha Party, and Independent candidates.
Dibrugarh recorded three candidates filing nominations, while Lakhimpur witnessed Congress candidate Uday Shankar Hazarika entering the electoral race against sitting BJP MP Pradan Baruah.
With a total of nine candidates filing nominations for the Lakhimpur constituency, the stage is set for a keenly contested electoral battle.
Scrutiny of nominations is scheduled for March 28, with the last date for withdrawal of candidature set for March 30.
In the previous Lok Sabha, BJP held nine seats, Congress three, while AIUDF and an Independent candidate secured one seat each in Assam.
