Assam Polls: Incumbent MLAs file nominations from key seats
GUWAHATI:
Three incumbent MLAs from the ruling BJP-AGP alliance exuded confidence of winning after filing in their nominations from Gauhati East, Gauhati West and Dispur Legislative Assembly constituencies for the third phase of the Assam Assembly elections scheduled for April 6.
Incumbent minister and Gauhati East candidate for Assam Assembly Election, 2021, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya, on Thursday, filed his nominations at the Kamrup Metro Deputy Commissioner’s office here after being accompanied to a stretch from his Bora Service (Ulubari) residence by BJP’s poll strategist and NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Both ministers were seen riding bicycles as hundreds of party members, supporters, and well-wishers cheered them along, with some showering flower petals.
Speaking to the media, Bhattacharya thanked the “Congress for giving him almost a walkover,” indicating that the Congress candidate, Ashima Bordoloi, the daughter of former MLA Captain Robin Bordoloi, is not posing much of a challenge.
He said he would win by a handsome margin because of the work he had accomplished as a minister and MLA over the past five years.
“Every year, we publish a report card of the work done. In 2020 (because of COVID-19), we could not do anything. But about 80 per cent of the waterworks project has been completed, and other projects are coming up. Yes, some projects initiated by the previous government had become defunct because of lack of planning,” Bhattacharya said.
Sitting MLA from Gauhati West constituency Ramendra Nath Kalita, who was elected in the Assam Legislative Assembly election in 1985 to 1996, 2006 and 2016 from the constituency, also sounded confident.
“This is a big constituency. To understand this constituency, it would take around six months,” Kalita said, indicating that the Congress candidate, Mira Borthakur Goswami, “would not be a factor”.
“It is natural for party aspirants to feel bad once a ticket is not given to a particular aspirant. But I am sure the BJP workers will support their alliance party’s candidate,” Kalita said in response to a question on BJP aspirants being disappointed after not getting tickets to contest the seat.
“In the past five years, I have done a lot. The drinking water project will be completed in about two months. I will try to complete the pending work soon. Will give priority to employment, land Patta and land rights for indigenous families and other problems once I am elected again,” the sitting MLA said.
Likewise, another sitting MLA from BJP, Atul Bora, filed his nomination from the Dispur constituency, asserting that he would win.
Bora had won by the highest margin of 1,30,197 votes from the Dispur assembly constituency in the 2016 Assam Assembly polls.
He had polled 1,98,378 votes, defeating the then sitting Congress MLA and former minister Akon Bora.
“This time, I will try to break my record,” Atul Bora said.
(Edited by Andre Kongri)
