GUWAHATI, May 13 – Though the performance of the Congress is much beyond expectation in the national level, in Assam, the party received a major setback as the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) was defeated in the polls. The major gainer was the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which managed to win two seats, while, the BJP also managed two. All Bodo Students’ Union backed independent candidate Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmutiary managed to get elected from Kokrajhar constituency for the third consecutive time.
The election in the State was marked by defeat of political heavyweights. Dibrugarh constituency has always remained a traditional bastion of the Congress but for the first time, the division of the tea tribe vote bank of the Congress resulted in the defeat of Ghatowar. Noted musician Dr Bhupen Hazarika, who contested in a BJP ticket from the prestigious Guwahati constituency, has been defeated by Kirip Chaliha of the Congress.
In the last two general elections, the AGP failed to win any seat and this time, the party, under a new leadership, managed to win two seats – Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur. In the last general election, the BJP managed to win two seats and this time also, the party managed to win two – Mangaldoi and Nagaon. In the last general elections, the Congress managed to win ten seats and the party managed nine this time. History repeated itself in Guwahati constituency as since 1977, no party managed to retain the seat for two consecutive terms and the BJP failed to retain the seat despite fielding a person of the stature of Dr Bhupen Hazarika. Kirip Chaliha defeated Dr Hazarika by a margin of 61,151 votes. Chaliha polled 3,53,250 votes, while, Dr Hazarika received 2,92,099 votes. AGP candidate Bhrigu Kumar Phukan came third by receiving 1,80,856 votes.
Talking to The Assam Tribune after his victory, a jubilant Chaliha said that he did better in the rural areas because the Congress represents the poorer sections of the society. He admitted that Congress also had some organisational problems in the city areas. He said that pro-Sonia wave all over the country and rural development activities of the Tarun Gogoi Government can be attributed for his victory. He said that the neglect of Assam by the NDA Government is also a factor for his victory. Chaliha said that solution of the problem of unemployment would be his main goal as a member of Parliament.
Another political heavyweight who tasted defeat is Dr Jayanta Rongpi of the CPI(ML) , who also came third from the Autonomous District constituency. Biren Singh Ingty of the Congress has been elected to the Parliament from the constituency defeating his nearest rival Elwin Teron of the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) by a margin of 24,067 votes. The Congress candidate received 1,25,763 votes, while, Teron received 1,01,696 votes. Dr Rongpi, who managed to get elected from the constituency for four consecutive terms since 1991, came a poor third by receiving 74,360 votes.
In Karimganj constituency, Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya of the Congress defeated his nearest rival Parimal Suklabaidhya of the BJP by a margin of 92,404 votes, while, Nepal Das, a member of the last Assembly, came third. Congress candidate Bijoy Krishna Handique retained the Jorhat parliamentary seat defeating his nearest rival Drupad Borgohain of the CPI by a margin of 51,292 votes, while, BJP candidate Dayananda Burahogain came third. Congress candidates AF Golam Osmani and Anowar Hussain have been elected from Barpeta and Dhubri constituencies respectively defeating their nearest AGP rivals.
Our Correspondents report: Tezpur: Lottery baron Mani Kumar Subba retained the Tezpur constituency for the third successive time defeating his nearest rival Padma Hazarika of the AGP by a margin of 70,445 votes, while BJP candidate GL Agarwala came third.
According to LS Changsan, Deputy Commissioner, Sonitpur and Returning officer of the constituency, of the 7,19,768 valid votes, Subba received 2,89,847 votes, while the AGP candidate received 2,19,402 votes. GL Agarwala received 1,64,662 votes. Rubil Sarma of the CPI(ML) got 24,595 votes, while independent candidate Dipen Tanti managed to get only 21,262 votes. A jubilant atmosphere prevails among the Congress supporters in the constituency and tight security arrangements have been made to prevent any untoward incident.
Nagaon: Rajen Gohain of the BJP retained the Nagaon parliamentary seat defeating his nearest rival Bishnu Prasad by a margin of 31,412 votes. Gohain received 3,42,704 votes, while Prasad received 3,11,292 votes. AGP candidate Dhruba Kumar Saikia came third by receiving 1,04,273 votes.
In Kaliabor constituency, Dip Gogoi of the Congress defeated his nearest rival Keshab Mahanta of the BJP by a margin of 67,198 votes, while, BJP-supported JD(U) candidate Rashidul Haque came third.
Mangaldoi: BJP candidate Narayan Barkataki defeated his nearest rival Madhab Rajbongshi of the Congress by a margin of 29,650 votes. Barkataki polled 3,48,604 votes, while the Congress candidate received 3,18,954 votes. The AGP candidate Apurba Bhattacharjee came third by receiving 1,47,423 votes. The support of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) proved to be vital for the BJP candidate and he himself admitted the fact after his victory.
Kokrajhar: ABSU supported candidate Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmutiary defeated his nearest rival Sabdaram Rabha of the Sanmilita Janagosthiya Sangram Samiti by a huge margin of more than 4.84 lakh votes to get elected to the Parliament third time in a row. The ABSU backed candidate received 6,89,620 votes, while, Rabha received 2,05,491 votes. The Congress candidate Derhagra Mushahary came third.
North Lakhimpur: AGP candidate Dr Arun Kumar Sarma defeated his nearest rival Ranee Narah of the Congress to get elected to the Parliament from the Lakhimpur constituency. Dr Sarma received 3,00,727 votes, while, Narah received 2,72,634 votes.
Silchar: Former Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev defeated his nearest rival Kabindra Purkayastha of the BJP by a margin of 21,320 votes to be elected from the Silchar constituency. Dev polled 2,46,215 votes, while the BJP candidate received 2,24,895 votes.