Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is not facing any contest in the five seats in the state going to Lok Sabha elections in the first phase on April 19.
He said the NDA is facing a contest only in two of the state’s 14 seats.
The BJP is contesting 11 seats while its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United People’s Party Liberal, are contesting in two seats and one seat respectively.
“There is no competition in the five seats going to polls in the first phase. We have a competition in one seat in the second phase and one seat in the third phase,” Sarma told journalists on Monday.
“But we are in the lead if you calculate the votes of 2021 Assembly elections based on (last year’s) delimitation of constituencies,” he added.
The five seats going to polls in the first phase are Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Kaziranga and Sonitpur. The BJP is contesting all of these seats.
Sarma did not name the two constituencies where the NDA is facing a contest but the opposition parties are expected to give the ruling coalition a run for its money in Jorhat, Nagaon and Dhubri seats.
Toughest battle
The NDA is facing the toughest battle in Jorhat where the BJP’s Topon Kumar Gogoi, who is the sitting MP, will vie against Congress biggie Gaurav Gogoi. Some ministers are frequently visiting the constituency for campaigning. Sarma is leading the poll campaign here.
The BJP’s Suresh Bora is pitted against the Congress’ Pradyut Bordoloi and the All India United Democratic Front’s (AIUDF) Aminul Islam in a triangular contest in Nagaon. Bordoloi is the sitting MP while Islam is an MLA, representing the Dhing constituency falling under the Nagaon parliamentary seat.
In Dhubri, the contest is expected between AIUDF chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, who is the sitting MP, and Rokibul Hussain of the Congress. The BJP allowed the AGP to contest from the seat as per their seat-sharing arrangement.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit the state on Tuesday for campaigning. He will address a rally in Lakhimpur. The BJP’s Pradan Baruah is the sitting MP and he is seeking re-election for the third straight term.
Later in the day, Shah will take part in a road show in Tinsukia town falling under the Dibrugarh parliamentary seat. Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal is up against the Assam Jatiya Parishad’s Lurinjyoti Gogoi and the Aam Aadmi Party’s Manoj Dhanowar here.
