BJP likely to face rough ride in Tinsukia district

From our Correspondent

TINSUKIA,  March  13: In the backdrop of unfair and improper  nomition of party tickets by BJP leadership in five constituencies in Tinsukia district, the BJP is likely face debacle in all the constituencies in the forthcoming election, predicted a senior BJP leader of the district, disclosing further that ignoring the district committees’ written suggestion over the selection of party tickets based on demographic pattern, the leaders made their own choices leading to district-wide protest and discontentment among the grassroots  party workers.

Tinsukia being a multi-lingual and multi-community district, LAC-wise proper representation ought to have been made which would have prevented the present mass exodus of party workers, keeping aside the vested interest of some individuals, observed a party source. Almost all ethnic organizations are up-in-arms for non-representation from their communities and burning of effigies and other means of protests have become a daily affair. A cross section of people, however, is apprehending post-election fratricidal and commul conflicts in certain parts of the district.

After BJP nomition for 122 Tinsukia LAC was filized in favour of Sanjay Kishan, he was nowhere to be seen. He neither visited the party office nor anyone could contact him over cell phone, informed a party insider. Kishan’s candidature was opposed by the district committee and the district president Bhaban Sarma even resorted to sit-in along with party workers. According to a source, Kishan’s credentials cannot be an altertive to Congress turf even as he secured 29,265 votes against INC winner RP Singh who won with a margin of 11,973 votes in the 2011 Assembly election. The margin was almost same (12084) when RP Singh contested  against his mentor SS Ojha who fought for the first time in BJP ticket in the 2001 election. In 2006 election BJP, however, relegated to third position when RP Singh defeated AGP candidate Israil nda by a margin of 2,755 votes. Now it is to be seen whether AGP-BJP alliance can break the Congress bastion in 122 Tinsukia LAC.

In 123 Digboi LAC, Suren Phukan, the BJP candidate, despite two attempts he could not dethrone Rameswar Dhanwar of Congress albeit Phukan’s margin remained almost same over a span of five years. In 2011 election Phukan secured 27,905 votes against Dhanwar 38,663, while in 2006 it was 27,905 and 35,773 respectively. Though Suren Phukan’s nomition was hailed by some party workers and resented by many, it would not be an easy sailing against the INC candidate, whoever it may be, in the wake of discontentment around tea belts and elite voters which constitute about 60 per cent of the total 1,12,986 electorate.

Ever since BJP nomited Bhaskar Sharma for 124 Margherita, LAC, election scerio has changed drastically with violent protest by grassroots party workers to the extent of flouting a neo- BJP party led by disillusioned senior party leaders Sanjay Kr Deb and Lakheswar Moran paving way for an easy win for the Congress. Deb knowledgeably had a strong base, made a good exit with several hundred party workers who are likely to tilt towards Moran who again contested in 2006 with AGP ticket and lost to Pradyut Bordoloi by a margin of 30,743 votes. In no case, a BJP senior leader said, Bhaskar Sharma, despite having money and muscle power, cannot take on Congress in Margherita and Pradyut Bordoloi in particular if being nomited for four consecutive terms.

The 125 Doomdooma LAC, a Congress stronghold till 2006 election, is predomintly a tea belt with 1,19,384 voters of which tea tribes constitute more than 50 per cent of the total electorate. Dilip Moran, a BJP sitting MLA who wrestled with the Congress by a margin of 4,656 votes in 2011 will face a stiff contest this time as his candidature was not favoured in BJP circles. Interl rift within the party will cost Moran to a considerable extent and may loss the prospect of gaining for the second term.

126 Sadiya LAC is the most backward region in the district. The LAC has almost equal number of electorate on either side of Brahmaputra River. With mixed electorate comprising of various ethnic communities including sizeable proportion of Nepali people, the northern part constitutes main Sadiya subdivision, poor infrastructure, flood and erosion problems, deplorable condition of road and communication bear the testimony of legislator’s apathy and state of well-being towards the electorate.  Being neglected over the decades, the people of Sadiya have now openly revolted against two-time legislator Bolin Chetia, an expelled MLA from Congress who has been nomited by BJP as party candidate. In the past three general elections, two candidates- Bolin Chetia from INC and Jagadish Bhuyan, former minister from AGP contested against each other while Jagadish Bhuyan lost to Bolin Chetia by a margin of 2,794 and 6,867 votes in 2006 and 2011general elections respectively. In contrary Chetia lost to Bhuyan by a margin of 196 votes in 2001 election. Interestingly, Bhuyan who shifted his allegiance towards BJP prior to Chetia with primary objective to contest the election with BJP ticket, was denied party ticket this time. According to party sources, Chetia would be in a comfortable position provided Bhuyan, a keen politician and once political foe, joins hand with Chetia and puts up a strong resistance to Congress in both banks of the mighty Brahmaputra.