Is INC candidate Paban Singh Ghatowar likely to face a big jolt in this election?

Our Correspondent

TINSUKIA: The INC is likely to face a major debacle unprecedented in the history of Tinsukia district in three of its LAC segments- Tinsukia, Digboi and Margherita under 13 Dibrugarh HPC, once a Congress stronghold, after INC candidate Paban Singh Ghatowar lost contact with tea-belt voters, ACMS, Congress supporters and sympathizers.

The Congress, according to party insiders, is even running short of volunteers to maintain party offices being set up across constituencies. Due to paucity of fund and manpower, some of the erstwhile election booths have not opened this time much to the dissatisfaction of voters, though Ghatowar is expected to get some support in Moran, the place he hails from.

The Congress circle here, though accepted the candidature of veteran Ghatowar abiding by the decision of party high command, is thoroughly disillusioned, feeling that the party should have selected a more active and young candidate. While many workers deserted the camp, some senior leaders have preferred to abstain from any electioneering exercise.

The Congress is pushed to the corner this time, particularly with no agenda to woo the gullible tea voters which constitute around 35 per cent of the electorate as the BJP during the past five years capsulated tea pockets within its fold. All BJP MLAs in the district have armed themselves to uplift tea communities through various State-sponsored schemes and MLALAD funds, leaving the Congress high and dry in this election other than raising issue relating to enhancement of worker’s daily wage. The CAB and NRC issues have taken a back seat under the influence of fiery speeches of BJP campaigners even as the NRC issue confronted a sizeable proportion of electorate in these LACs.

A four-time parliamentarian from Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency-1996, 1998, 1999 and 2009, Paban Singh Ghatowar lost to Sarbananda Sonowal who contested on AGP ticket in 2004 and in 2014 to Rameswar Teli of BJP by a margin of 1,85,347 votes of the total electorate of 11,14,965. While Teli secured 44.3 per cent, Ghatowar got 27.7 per cent. Unless Ghatowar gears up his campaign in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh, he is likely to trail further and unlikely to poll one-sixth of the valid votes, observed a Congress functionary in the district, adding that the grassroots Congress workers would be his only saviour from disaster now.

With eight candidates in the fray, 4 independent and 2 from other political parties, it is even conjectured that the total tally of Ghatowar may be even lesser than all six taking together.

Also read: Assam news