JORHAT: The electric poles do not have the banners of political parties nor are posters and festoons seen in towns and rural areas.
Assam’s Jorhat parliamentary constituency will go to the polls within a fortnight but there is no noise on the ground. The poll campaign is invisible. But, call it support for the BJP or otherwise, there are saffron flags galore in urban areas, put up during the recent Ram temple consecration.
The focus of political parties, whether or not contesting from Jorhat, is on this prestigious upper Assam seat ever since Congress’ Gaurav Gogoi decided to contest from here. He faces sitting MP and former student leader Topon Kumar Gogoi of the BJP in the battle between two Gogois. There are two independent candidates in the fray – Raj Kumar Duwara and Arun Chandra Handique.
Barring Duwara, rest are from the Ahom community that ruled Assam for 600 years pre-independence. Sivasagar, the capital of the erstwhile Ahom kingdom, falls under Jorhat seat. The constituency truly carries the Ahom pride.
For decades, it had been a Congress bastion until the BJP’s emergence as a powerhouse in 2014. Seven of the 10 Assembly segments here are held by the BJP, two by the Congress and one by an independent. Several Congress leaders from here joined the BJP and the Congress is going to the polls with a weakened party organisation.
There is a perception that the battle will be between Gaurav and the BJP, not Congress versus BJP. The Assamese middle-class appears to be tilted in Gaurav’s favour and there is an apparent undercurrent for change, for he is being seen by many as a youth icon. This section wants him to fill up the Congress’ vacuum in upper Assam created by the demise of his father, three-time former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
Gogoi senior held the Jorhat parliamentary seat for three terms from 1971 until 1985. He also represented the Titabor Assembly seat, which falls under Jorhat, from 2001 until his death in 2020.
Two communities, which will decide the fate of candidates in Jorhat, are Assamese and Adivasis (tea garden workers). People have their grievances against the government but most are afraid of speaking up in public.
“We have issues such as flood and erosion, lack of drinking water, roads and other infrastructure in small towns and rural areas. Then, there is the problem of unemployment. I want Gaurav to win. He can properly raise our issues in parliament,” said a voter who wanted to be identified by his surname, Gogoi.
The BJP’s promise about granting Scheduled Tribes status to six communities, including Ahoms and Adivasis, has remained unfulfilled. Gogoi said the Ahoms would give the party a befitting reply.
Amulya Borah, a 93-year-old retired schoolteacher, said he could see in Gaurav the qualities of Hem Barua, a well-known author and former MP (served from 1957-70) who arguably has been Assam’s best MP.
“We all have seen Gaurav’s political acumen. He is young, educated and dynamic,” he said.
However, there are some who said the BJP should win, so the pro-poor schemes could continue. “The various welfare schemes, such as Ayushman Bharat and free ration, are tremendously helping the poor. I believe BJP will retain power in Delhi,” said Biswajit Chakraborty, a central government employee.
Considering the difference the Adivasi voters can make, the state’s BJP-led government came up with various welfare and development schemes for the community after the BJP wrested power from the Congress in 2016. The BJP not only hiked the wages of tea workers, it also built schools and roads in their areas. However, people still have their issues.
“The politicians remember us only when there is an election. Is it possible to run a family of four to five people with a daily wage of Rs 250? Our ration is also irregular. We tea workers are leading a wretched life,” said Lakhsmi, a tea garden worker.
Maheswar Goala, who is from the Hunwal Tea Estate, said the BJP should be voted for its development initiatives and welfare schemes.
However, Pramila Tanti, a colleague of Lakhsmi, said, “Development is fine but the government should also take care of the welfare of people like us.”
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has a Congress past, had joined the BJP in 2015 after falling out with Tarun Gogoi. Observers say the US-educated Gaurav was the reason, as the Congress promoted him unduly. This election, Sarma is going hard at Gaurav, referring to him as “blue blood”.
For the BJP, Jorhat is the most important seat. It is using all its might to defeat Gaurav. The Congress said the BJP had no idea it would face a contest in Jorhat.
Gaurav was elected from Kaliabor the last two times. The Congress shifted him to Jorhat after Kaliabor underwent massive demographic changes following the delimitation exercise last year. Recently, Gaurav stated BJP had targeted the Kaliabor seat as the Congress was virtually invincible there.
