Fresh eruption within BJP over tickets

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, March 10: Fresh resentment within the BJP over the distribution of tickets boiled over on Thursday after the party declared the list of 88 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections.

Unhappy with the candidates in their constituencies, BJP members in many places threatened to put up parallel candidates and even quit the party.

Angry workers burnt effigies of BJP leaders Sarbanda Sonowal, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and RP Sharma at Gohpur after Utpal Bora was nominated from the constituency.

At Duliajan, party workers gheraoed the residence of MP Rameshwar Teli, protesting the decision to nominate Teros Gowala from the constituency. As many as 16 panchayats have called for "non-cooperation", alleging that Teli has indulged in "communal politics."

"Outsider" candidate Bhabesh Kalita is facing stiff opposition from BJP workers at Rangiya where veteran member Chandradhar Deka has threatened to quit the party. MP Ramen Deka is under fire from grassroots workers there for the decision.

BJP candidate from Mangaldai Gurujyoti Das has been described as an "unknown face" by party workers of the constituency. They said former AGP minister Hiren Kumar Das could have put up a better fight.

Sporadic clashes were reported in lbari between supporters of Jayanta Malla Barua and Ashok Sharma, forcing the police to intervene at places. The BJP is yet to me its candidate from the constituency.

Sharma, in a rally at lbari today, has claimed he has been given the ticket, but the party headquarters has not confirmed it.

Supporters of ticket aspirant Shantanu Pujari also staged protests at Jorhat after former AGP minister Hiten Goswami was med as the BJP's candidate from the prestigious seat.

Hundreds of BJP workers in Dhemaji have threatened to quit protesting nomination of former Congress MLA from Joi Pradan Barua as BJP's candidate from the constituency.

Ashokanda Singhal and Suman Haripriya are facing similar protests at Dhekiajuli and Hajo respectively.

Meanwhile, the BJP has nominated two former bureaucrats as its candidates in the assembly elections.

Former Assam Assembly Principal Secretary Gauranga Prasad Das has been nominated from Goalpara East while BB Hagjer will contest from Haflong.

"For the last several years, I had been working at the State assembly. Now I have an opportunity to serve the people. I hope the people will give me this opportunity," Gauranga Prasad Das told The Sentinel.

Former Independent MLA Prab Kalita, who has been med BJP's candidate at Palasbari, said, "When you are an independent MLA, you have certain limitations. Now, I will be fighting under a party's banner. I hope the people will give me an opportunity to serve them again."

In Guwahati, euphoric supporters of Siddhartha Bhattacharyya, nominated from East Guwahati, took a rally only to earn the ire of the administration.

The administration lodged a case against the East Guwahati BJP president and secretary as they did not take permission to bring out the rally. Bhattacharyya has been slapped a show-cause notice by the returning officer.