New Guwahati set for ideology clash as BJP, Congress face off

Guwahati, March 26: The 35 No. New Guwahati Legislative Assembly Constituency (LAC) is bracing for a battle of ballots between two loyals, one each from BJP and Opposition Congress, in a sharp contrast to two turncoats pitted against each other in the neighbouring Dispur constituency.

With total electors of 1,91,447, civic concerns such as drinking water shortage, artificial floods, traffic congestion and public infrastructure are likely to remain central to voter decisions.

Soon after filing their nominations on Monday, BJP candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarmah and Congress nominee Santanu Bora termed the upcoming election as a battle of “ideology,” underscoring the significance of the contest in the city’s evolving political landscape.

Santanu Bora (44), an APCC general secretary, will raise persistent issues such as drinking water scarcity, artificial floods, lack of public toilets, drug menace and lack of adequate public infrastructure.

“Providing a few buses does not make Guwahati a smart city. Despite flyovers, traffic congestion remains unresolved in the city,” Bora said, adding that as the son of former Rajya Sabha MP and former Education Minister Pankaj Bora, he has been working for years and understands the issues of the people of the constituency.

Expressing confidence, Bora said that under the leadership of APCC president Gaurav Gogoi, the party expects support from both young and senior voters.

Across the aisle is BJP candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarmah (50), currently an MLA, who won the 2024 by-election from Samaguri, which was considered a Congress stronghold.

He is the general secretary of the Assam Pradesh BJP and a former State general secretary of BJYM.

With roots in the RSS, Sarmah emphasized the BJP’s development agenda.

“The wave of development initiated by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has naturally attracted people towards us. The work done by MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya has further strengthened our position,” he said.

During the election campaign, Sarmah will visit the voters door-to-door and expect that they will win the election with a good margin.

Adding an interesting dimension to the contest, former Congress spokesperson and ex-Mayor of Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Kushal Sarmah, has entered the race as an independent candidate after being denied a party ticket.

Even though there have been requests from different spheres that he withdraw his candidature, Sarmah said that he will not step down and will fight against both the BJP and Congress candidates. Although the contest will not be a three-cornered fight, independent candidate Kushal Sarmah may negatively affect the vote share of the Congress.

Overall in this constituency, Santanu Bora could be seen as a candidate raising grounded urban concerns and offering a fresh push within the Congress framework, appealing to those looking for change in civic governance.

Diplu Ranjan Sarmah, in contrast, is being perceived as a seasoned and well-connected leader aligned with the ruling establishment, which could reassure voters expecting faster execution of development projects. The BJP candidate might also face some irritants from within the party, including those from senior young leaders.

In essence, voters are likely to assess not just party ideology, but also who appears more capable of delivering tangible improvements in their daily urban lives.

In total, five candidates have filed nominations for the constituency. Besides the BJP and Congress nominees, Chinmoyee Bhuyan Bordoloi of Gana Suraksha Party and Aditya Gogoi of the Aam Aadmi Party are also in the fray.

The New Guwahati constituency comprises key localities, including Uzan Bazar, Ambari (Rabindra Bhawan area), Lachit Nagar, Rajgarh, Bamunimaidam, Noonmati, Geetanagar, Hengrabari, and Sarumataria, with a total of 219 polling stations.

With a mix of seasoned leaders, emerging faces, and local civic issues at the forefront, the contest promises to be closely watched as Guwahati gears up for polling.