GUWAHATI: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Monday filed his nomination from the Jorhat seat in Upper Assam.
This is the maiden Assembly election for Gogoi, who was earlier elected to the Lok Sabha thrice – twice from Kaliabor (now renamed as Kaziranga) and once from Jorhat.
The Congress is hoping to fare well, particularly in the 27-seat Upper Assam, riding on his popularity. He had won the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the Jorhat seat, defeating his nearest rival, student leader-turned-politician Topon Gogoi of the BJP.
The BJP could not defeat him despite an aggressive campaign which was led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
After filing his nomination, Gogoi told media persons that the upcoming election was an opportunity to cleanse Assam politics, allegedly soiled by the ruling BJP.
He promised that the Congress, if elected, would ensure equitable access to welfare schemes meant for women. He made the promise for an obvious reason.
The state has a popular social welfare scheme called “Orunodoi,” under which a monthly direct benefit transfer of Rs 1,250 is provided to women from economically disadvantaged families.
Recently, the government disbursed Rs 3,600 crore to 40 lakh beneficiaries of the scheme. Each beneficiary received Rs 5,000 together for four months of Orunodoi, and an additional Rs 4,000 as Bihu bonus.
Meanwhile, several other senior leaders, including Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) ministers Atul Bora and Keshab Mahanta, filed their nominations on Monday. The Chief Minister accompanied Bora, who is contesting from his pet Bokakhat seat.
“I am grateful to the people of Bokakhat for their continued love and support. With your blessings, we have worked hard for development and will continue to do so. I seek your support again to serve with greater dedication in the next five years. Together, let us build a brighter future for Bokakhat,” Bora posted on X.
Two other leaders who filed nominations were All India United Democratic Front president and perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal (Binnakandi seat), and Assam Jatiya Parishad general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan.