'Snubbed' BJP ticket aspirants threaten to contest Assam polls as Independents

GUWAHATI:

Resentment among a few ticket aspirants of the BJP has surfaced after the saffron party announced its third and final list of candidates for the three-phase Assam Assembly elections.

Three-time MLA Pranab Kalita, who has been denied a ticket from the Palashbari legislative Assembly constituency, expressed disappointment over the party’s decision.

“It is very sad that despite winning from the seat three times, the party has chosen not to nominate me this time. I will therefore contest the poll as an Independent candidate…I have my supporters and well-wishers in the constituency,” the incumbent legislator told TNT-The Northeast Today on Tuesday.

BJP has nominated a party ticket to a relatively younger aspirant, Hemanga Thakuria for Palashbari.

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Meanwhile, another strong contender and a party karyakarta for 30 years, Jayanta Das has been denied a ticket after the party went with sitting MLA Atul Bora as the contestant for the Dispur Legislative Assembly constituency (LAC) seat.

Assam BJP leader and minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday, while acknowledging Das’ contributions to the party as a karyakarta, said that he was a worthy candidate for Dispur LAC.

“However, the party has decided to nominate the senior politician (Atul Bora) and, I believe that Jayanta Das would not contest as an Independent and instead help the party do well in the polls,” Sarma said.

(Edited by Ladiangti Rani)