Winners & losers

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, February 12: Two leaders, AGP MLA Phani Bhusan Choudhury and former Mariani legislator Alok Ghosh,  emerged heroes in the civic polls while several other big mes had to eat humble pie.

Despite his party’s dismal performance, Choudhury maged to capture the Bongaigaon Municipal Board where the AGP bagged 19 of the 25 wards. The victory in Bongaigaon is being seen as Choudhury’s win rather than that of the AGP which has been routed elsewhere.

The NCP sprang a surprise at Mariani town committee where it won four of the five wards, leaving one for the BJP. Congress’ Rupjyoti Kurmi is a two-time MLA from Mariani. Sources said local BJP leader Alok Ghosh was furious after his list of candidates was rejected by MP Kamakhya Tasa. “Overnight, Ghosh joined the NCP and fielded his own candidates. Ghosh and his supporters carried out an aggressive campaign in the town domited by linguistic minority people,” a poll observer in the town said.

Interestingly, Ghosh had been an MLA from the constituency earlier. He has been associated with several parties in the past, including AGP and TMC.

Among the prominent losers were Dergaon MLA Aaroti Das Kachari’s husband and Minister Chandan Sarkar’s wife (Abhayapuri South).

In former minister Pradyut Bordoloi’s home constituency, the Congress scored a duck.

Other Congress legislators who could not ensure a victory for the party in their respective town areas are Pijush Hazarika (Roha), Jayanta Malla Baruah (lbari), Habul Chakraborty (Dhekiajuli), Raju Sahu (Chabua), Minister Sumitra Patir (Dhemaji), Ra Goswami (Jorhat), Rajen Borthakur (Tezpur), Prati Phukan (harkotiya) and Durlabh Chamua (gaon).