Gaurav set to return to Ahom bastion in Jorhat, Lurinjyoti in Dibrugarh

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 12, 2024

Former chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s son and sitting MP from Kaliabor constituency, Gaurav Gogoi has decided to return to Ahom bastion Jorhat to face off against BJP candidate Topon Kumar Gogoi in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls slated in April.

The Congress released its candidates for 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam on Tuesday leading Dibrugarh to its ally Assam Jatiya Parishad.

However, the candidate for Lakhimpur constituency is yet to be finalized as Lakhimpur has become a bone of contention for the party leaders.

“The candidate for this seat will be finalized tonight’s meeting,” said a leader of the party.

Even as it is expected that Gaurav will contest from Nagaon, the Congress had fielded him from Jorhat as the final list of candidates was announced on Tuesday.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress fielded Sushanta Buragohain from the constituency, who lost to Topon Kumar Gogoi.

Congress will contest from 13 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats of the state leaving Dibrugarh seat to AJP candidate Lurinjyoti Gogoi.

Lurinjyoti will fight against BJP candidate Union minister Sarbananda Sonwal and AAP candidate Manoj Dhanowar in the upcoming polls.

In the prestigious Guwahati constituency, Mahila Congress leader Meera Barthakur Goswami will fight against BJP’s Bijuli Kalita Medhi and AAP candidate Dr Bhaven Choudhury in the elections.

Sitting MP from Nagaon Pradyut Bordoloi will contest from Nagaon seat, while former MLA from Sarupathar, Roselina Tirki will contest from Kaziranga seat.

Congress fielded former minister Rakibul Hussain from Dhubri against AIUDF supremo Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal and AGP candidate Javed Islam.

Former BJP MLA Joyram Engleng will contest from the Diphu seat against BJP’s Amarsing Tisso, who is also the executive member (EM) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).

In Kokrajhar, the party has chosen Garjan Mashahary, while BJP’s ally UPPL is yet to announce its candidate list.

The Congress picked up former MP Madhav Rajbongshi in Darrang-Udalguri constituency to fight against sitting BJP MP Dilip Kumar Saikia and BPF candidate Durga Das Boro.

The party also chose Premlal Gunju in Sonitpur seat. Surjya Kumar Sarkar was named for Silchar, where BJP leader and forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya is contesting the polls.

The Congress also chose Hafiz Rashid Choudhury for Karimganj against BJP candidate Kripanath Mallah.

The party chose Deep Bayan for Barpeta in place of sitting MP Abdul Khaleque. AGP leader and former minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury will fight as BJP alliance candidate from Barpeta.

Although AAP is an ally of the 16-party United Opposition Forum in Assam, the party has snubbed Congress in seat sharing. The AAP has already announced the names of three seats Gauhati, Dibrugarh and Sonitpur.

Sources said Congress has urged the AAP to curtail the number of seats from Assam but the AAP expressed its inability to do so as it has already launched a campaign.

Sources also said the AAP was also requested to drop its candidates from Sonitpur and Dibrugarh and field only one candidate from Guwahati seat, which was refused to accept by the AA leaders.

As the AAP has refused to drop candidates from two seats, there may be a friendly contest between the two parties in the election, sources added.