Independents likely to decide fate of Congress, BJP

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

LBARI, April 6: Though the candidates of the two principal parties, the Congress and the BJP have heated up the atmosphere in lbari Sadar constituency with their vigorous campaigning, two Independent candidates have become the deciding factor for the prospects of both the candidates.

The Bharatiya Jata Party (BJP) has given its party ticket to Ashok Sarma, who first contested from the constituency in the 2006 Assembly elections and maged to get around 17,000 votes. In that election, AGP candidate Aloka Sarma won the seat. In the 2011 Assembly elections, Sarma was denied the party ticket and the BJP’s State secretary Dilip Saikia became the party’s candidate in lbari LAC. However, Saikia failed to attract enough people to his fold. This time also, he was a ticket aspirant from the constituency.

On the other hand, the former MLA of lbari LAC, Jayanta Malla Baruah, who later on joined the BJP, was also a strong contender for the party ticket. However, The BJP’s top brass did not give him also the chance to contest on its ticket.

Another ticket aspirant from the BJP, Shristi Sarma, has also jumped into the poll battle from lbari LAC as an Independent candidate. A rich young girl, Shristi Sarma has intensified campaigning in the constituency to woo the rural voters.The young girl, who has now become very much popular among the voters, will no doubt affect the prospects of the BJP candidate Ashok Sarma.

Another Independent candidate, Khurshid Alam of the constituency who is quite popular among the minority voters, is posing a serious threat to the electoral fortunes of Congress candidate Pradyut Kumar Bhuyan. A labour union leader, Khurshid Alam, has taken the pains to visit the voters from house-to-house in the constituency, which has given him a considerable edge in his poll campaign.

As a result, the lbari Sadar constituency is heading for a four-cornered contest among the BJP, Congress and the two Independent candidates Shristi Sarma and Khurshid Alam. However, a clear picture of the constituency is yet to emerge.

It may be mentioned here that though there are altogether 11 candidates in the fray from the constituency.