Assam Polls 2021: Voting for Phase 1 to Begin at 7 AM, 264 Candidates Including CM Sonowal in the Race

GUWAHATI: Polling for 47 constituencies would begin at 7 am for Phase I of Assam Assembly elections 2021. A total of 264 candidates including Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal are in the fray.

There are 23 women candidates contesting the polls in Phase 1. Phase 1 of Assam Elections would be held across 12 of the 34 districts of the state.

CM Sonowal is contesting from the Majuli seat for the second time.

As many as six Ministers are contesting in Phase I – Atul Bora, Agriculture and Veterinary Minister, is contesting from Bokakhat for the third time. Bora is the President of AGP, an alliance partner of BJP.

Keshab Mahanta, Minister for Water Resources and Science & Technology Minister is contesting from Kaliabor of State (Independent Charge) for Cultural Affairs and Panchayat and Rural Development, Minister of State for Revenue and Disaster Management Jogen Mohan, Minister for Labour and Tea Tribe Welfare, Sanjay Kishan and Minister for Handlooms, Textiles, Sericulture and Minorities Welfare, Ranjit Dutta.

Hitendranath Goswami, the current Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly is contesting from the Jorhat constituency.

Some of the other key candidates in Phase I are jailed KMSS leader and President of Raijor Dal, Akhil Gogoi who is contesting from Sibsagar. Gogoi was arrested in December 2019 and continues to be in jail. He is currently in Guwahati Medical College and Hospital undergoing treatment for certain ailments.

Former All Assam Student Union (AASU) General Secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi who is now the President of Assam Jatiya Parishad, is contesting from two constituencies – Naharkatia and Duliajan. Gogoi is a first-time contestant.

Former Congress veteran Ajanta Neog is contesting as a BJP candidate from the Golaghat constituency. Neog had won the Golaghat seat four times in a row (2001, 2006, 2011, 2016) on a Congress ticket.

Pranjal Ghatowar, son of former Union Minister and senior Assam Congress leader, Paban Singh Ghatowar and two-time MLA Jibontora Ghatowar, is contesting from the Moran constituency. He is contesting for the first time on an Indian National Congress (INC) ticket. He is up against Chakradhar Gogoi of BJP. Gogoi had defeated Paban Singh Ghatowar in the 2016 Assembly election by 16,231 votes.

Some of the other candidates to look out for are Prithiraj Rava (AGP) contesting for the first time from Tezpur, Congress candidate Rupjyoti Kurmi who is contesting from the Mariani seat for the fourth time. He is the sitting MLA of Mariani.

Rakibul Hussain, a four-time Congress MLA from Samaguri and a former minister of Assam will be contesting from Samaguri for the fifth time.

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