Poll Fever Grips Parties For Third Phase in Assam

GUWAHATI: Poll fever grips political parties as the battle lines for the prestigious Gauhati Parliamentary seat appear to have been drawn with two heavyweights, Queen Aja from the BJP and Bobbeeta Sarmah from the Congress filing their nominations here on Monday for the third phase of the elections.

Altogether eight nominations have been submitted so far. Of them, four have been filed in Dhubri, three in Gauhati, and one in Kokrajhar. The Barpeta Parliamentary seat is yet to witness the commencement of the process for filing of nominations. More papers are expected to be filed as the last date for filing of nominations is April 4. Scrutiny of the papers will be taken up on April 5. Withdrawal of nominations will take place on April 8. Polling for this seat is slated for April 23. The counting of votes will be held along with the rest of the country on May 23.

On Monday morning, the BJP procession started from the Sonaram School field while the Congress commenced its procession from Rajiv Bhawan at Amingaon in the afternoon. Both the processions witnessed huge participation with Bihu troupes regaling the spectators as the processions proceeded to the DC’s Office in Amingaon here.

In Guwahati, former mayor of Gauhati Municipal Corporation and BJP candidate Queen Aja was accompanied among others also by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, NEDA convenor and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhab, the party’s national secretary and Assam ‘Prabhari’ Mahendra Singh, sitting MP Bijoya Chakravarty, party MLAs Atul Bora, Suman Haripriya, and Angoorlata Deka, besides AGP MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita. Talking to the media after the filing of nominations, Chief Minister Sonowal said, “The voters of Gauhati Parliamentary constituency have already decided to vote for progress and development. The masses are convinced that only when Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister once again will the process of development that has already started during his time, will continue.”

Interacting with the media, Queen Aja said, “I shall organize public rallies after April 5. Right now, meetings are being held with party workers. I will seek people’s blessings and votes in the name of progress and development.” On the other hand, Bobbeeta Sarmah was accompanied among others by Congress MLAs Rekibuddin Ahmed, Nandita Das, and former Minister Akon Bora.

Talking to the media after filing the papers, Bobbeeta Sarmah said, “My thrust areas would be the resolution of the growing unemployment problem and development of the Gauhati Parliamentary constituency. Moreover, I shall also ensure that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is not introduced in the Parliament.”

Dwelling on unemployment, Sarmah said, “Since 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi started talking of opening up various employment avenues across the country, the hard fact is that unemployment has grown manifold. Steps must be initiated to address this issue at the earliest.

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