Assam bypolls: Congress announces candidates for four seats

Guwahati: The Congress on Sunday announced candidates for four Assembly constituencies in Assam where bypolls on November 13. However, the opposition party has refrained from announcing a candidate for the Behali Assembly segment which is also heading for by-elections, hinting about accommodating its ally CPI (M-L).

By-elections in five assembly constituencies — Dholai, Samaguri, Behali, Bongaigaon, and Sidli became imminent following the elections of five legislators in the lower house of the parliament in this year’s Lok Sabha polls.

Congress has given party tickets to Dhrubajyoti Purakayastha in Dholai, Sanjib Warle in Sidli seat, Brajenjit Sinha in Bongaigaon and Tanzil Hussain in Samaguri assembly constituency.

The Dholai assembly constituency is reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and the Sidli seat is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST).

Except in Samaguri, where Congress heavyweight Rakibul Hussain has been winning since 2001, the rest of the four seats are with the BJP-led alliance.

Tanzil Hussain is the son of Rakibul Hussain. The senior Congress leader ousted the three-time AIUDF MP and party chief Badruddin Ajmal in the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat with a margin of more than 10 lakh votes in this year’s Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress leadership kept trust in Rakibul Hussain and gave a ticket to his son in Samaguri.

The BJP earlier announced candidates for three seats — Dholai, Samaguri and Behali.

Diplu Ranjan Sarma has been given the ticket in Samaguri while Diganta Ghatowar and Nihar Ranjan Das will fight for the BJP in Behali and Dholai assembly segments respectively.

BJP’s former cabinet minister Parimal Suklabaidya successfully contested in the Silchar Lok Sabha seat and his earlier assembly seat Dholai was vacant. Meanwhile, another senior BJP leader Ranjit Dutta was elected to the lower house of the parliament this time. He was representing the Behali seat in the assembly.

BJP’s two allies — Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) will contest polls in Bongaigaon and Sidli Assembly constituencies respectively.