OUR CORRESPONDENT
MANGALDAI: With only a few days remaining before the official announcement of the dates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam, political activity has intensified across Darrang district. Major political parties and ticket aspirants are actively mobilizing support. The two principal parties-the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC)-along with other political groups, are making concerted efforts to strengthen their organizational bases ahead of the polls.
State BJP president and Member of Parliament Dilip Saikia has launched the party's "Booth Vijay" campaign from Mangaldai with the slogan, "My booth is the strongest of all," calling upon grassroots workers to prepare wholeheartedly for the elections. Meanwhile, state Congress president and MP Gaurav Gogoi, along with several national-level leaders, has been working to energize party leaders and workers in Darrang district through the "Parivartan Ek Yatra" programme.
This will be the first Assembly election in the district following the delimitation of constituencies, and attention is now centered on the Mangaldai constituency, located at the district headquarters. The seat, which has been reserved for Scheduled Castes since 1996, has been de-reserved this time. Basanta Das, who won the seat on a Congress ticket in the 2021 Assembly election, is reportedly keen to contest on a BJP ticket. However, he has not formally joined the BJP so far.
Following the de-reservation, the list of ticket aspirants for Mangaldai has grown significantly. Among those seeking a BJP ticket are former legislator Gurujyoti Das; Mangaldai Municipal Board Chairperson Nirmali Devi Sharma; Mangaldai Development Authority Chairman Pratap Bordoloi; former BJP district presidents Ashok Bhargav and Amarendra Sarma; senior party leader Pranab Barua; former Zila Parishad member Hemanta Barua; Pranab Narayan Dev; industrialist Anupam Deka; youth leader Chandan Saikia; Jon Jyoti Kashyap; RSS activist Naba Jyoti Deka; and Vishva Hindu Parishad activist Gaurav Dekaraja.
In the Congress as well, several aspirants are in the fray, including Darrang District Congress Committee President Rijumoni Talukdar; social activist and young advocate Jugal Saikia; Mitali Deka; Yanur Islam; and Minu Kalita.
In Sipajhar constituency-the only seat in the district currently held by the ruling BJP-the party has intensified its efforts to retain control. Amid indications of anti-incumbency against sitting MLA Dr. Paramananda Rajbongshi, the party leadership has reportedly become proactive in addressing the situation. If circumstances become unfavorable, the leadership may consider fielding an alternative candidate. Among the BJP aspirants for Sipajhar are Kuldip Barua (who contested on a Congress ticket in the previous election, later joined the BJP); RSS youth leader Jyoti Prasad Saharia; Banamali Sharma; and Rana Basishtha.
Notably, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), an NDA ally that has previously held the Sipajhar seat, has staked a claim for the constituency under seat-sharing arrangements. Following the defection of Kuldip Barua from Congress, the opposition party is also searching for a strong candidate. Former legislator Binanda Saikia, senior district vice-president Nitya Gopal Goswami, and senior leader Kandarpa Kalita are considered leading contenders for the Congress ticket.
In the district's third constituency, Dalgaon, the Congress reportedly has the highest number of ticket aspirants, totaling 12. Prominent among them are former legislator Ilias Ali; young advocate Rekibuddin Ahmed; businessman Ainul Haque; senior leader Wahida Ahmed; and Youth Congress activist Sheikh Abdullah. The Dalgaon seat is currently held by the AIUDF and has a religious minority-majority electorate. There is speculation that the BJP may leave this seat to its ally AGP as part of seat-sharing negotiations.
Also Read: Assam: BJP and AGP want polls before Bihu; Congress demands free and fair polls