Will NPP candidate Nazia Yasmin Mazumder decide the fate of Silchar Lok Sabha seat?

Special Correspondent

Silchar: Nazia Yasmin Mazumder, NPP candidate might be a debutant in poll battle, she is a seasoned politician and knows well all about the nitty-gritty of politics. She also knows election is now more of chemistry than arithmetic. As the state general secretary of Congress, she has gained enough organizational experience to bolster up the base and strength of her new found party for which she has been working from the grass root level, far from the media glare. She has been nurturing the dream to contest as an Independent candidate and establish her identity as a public leader with a difference.

It was on the advice of her advisors, particularly Misbahul Islam Laskar, former Congress minister and well-known personality in Barak politics, that she got in touch with Conrad Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya and President of NPP, with the proposition to contest as NPP candidate. Conrad gave his assent and also blessings. He also agreed to campaign for her and that did add to her determination to fight and win against the formidable adversaries, BJP and Congress.

Nazia Yasmin Mazumder and Misbahul Islam Laskar, regarded as her lieutenant, have one thing in common. Both were sidelined in Congress despite their honesty and sincerity. They now want a place of honour in politics. NPP has created that platform for them and their supporters as well as workers. Moreover, NPP has added a new dimension to Barak politics with the prospect of it emerging as a force to reckon with. Nazia in the meantime has gone all hog to campaign across the seven constituencies of the Lok Sabha. She expects to pull up the support of the aggrieved workers of Congress, AIUDF, BJP and AGP.

Her rallies and meetings are drawing crowds and have begun to cause consternation in the camps of her rivals, Congress and BJP. NPP candidate is now at the centre of political discussion and debate. The crowds of workers and supporters around her and the ever gaining momentum in her campaign has sent worrying signal for both Congress and BJP.

Congress is worried how much Nazia will cut into Muslim votes. BJP, on the other hand, is worried if she fails to take away larger chunk of Muslims votes, it will tilt the balance in favour of Congress. NPP candidate is banking more on the vacuum created by the absence of AIUDF in the fray.

Absence of AIUDF in the battle of 2014 on Silchar seat gave easy passage for the victory of Sushmita Dev of Congress and the defeat of Kabindra Purkayastha of BJP. Significantly, Kabindra Purkayastha lost despite the unprecedented Modi wave of 2014. In 2019, AIUDF supremo Badruddin Ajmal contested from the seat and brought about the waterloo of Congress heavyweight Sontosh Mohan Dev. Kabindra Purkayastha won with comfortable majority. Admittedly, NPP has a long way to go to take the place of AIUDF in Assam politics.

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