Pulse of the polls: Water, roads, land rights shape Central Guwahati race

Guwahati, March 9: As Assam moves closer to the Assembly elections, the political tempo across Kamrup (Metropolitan) district is steadily gathering pace.

In Part III of The Assam Tribune’s constituency watch covering the district’s five Assembly seats, the focus shifts to Central Guwahati, a constituency that has emerged as one of the most closely watched political battlegrounds following the recent delimitation exercise.

The upcoming election will be the first Assembly poll after the redrawing of constituency boundaries, a process that has reshaped the political landscape of several seats across the state.

Across neighbourhoods ranging from Kalapahar and Bharalumukh to Bishnu Nagar and the surrounding hill areas, conversations with residents reveal a recurring pattern of concerns.

As political parties assess their prospects and multiple aspirants vie for party tickets, one central question looms large: what do the voters of Central Guwahati expect from their next legislator?

Dust, delays & water woes in Kalapahar

In Kalapahar, where a flyover is currently under construction, residents say the project promises long-term benefits but have created short-term hardships.

Local resident Babulal Adhikari describes the daily challenges faced by people in the area. “We have been living with constant difficulties for the past two years. The roads are in very poor condition, making daily travel extremely difficult. The dust from the flyover construction has become unbearable, yet there is hardly any effort to sprinkle water and control it. It feels like the administration is unaware of what we are going through,” he said.

Adhikari says the drinking water crisis remains the most pressing concern for residents. “The pipelines are not functioning properly and the supply is irregular. Sometimes the lines run dry for days. Elections are here and leaders will come asking for votes, but very few understand how we are managing our daily lives here,” he added.

Another resident, Ratan Putdar, echoed similar concerns, calling the water shortage a decades-old issue. “The water problem here is severe. There is hardly any drinking water and even basic mobility is difficult because the roads are so damaged,” he said.

Development vs. traffic reality in Bharalumukh

In nearby Bharalumukh, residents acknowledge that new infrastructure such as the flyover represents development, but they question whether it has actually solved local problems.

Local resident Dhananjay Sarma believes the infrastructure project may lead to new traffic bottlenecks. “The flyover may bring some benefits, but once traffic from the Brahmaputra bridge increases, congestion around gates 7, 8 and 9 will likely worsen. The turning near the fish market is already dangerous due to heavy traffic,” he said.

Sarma also pointed out that while infrastructure projects often symbolise progress, they can disrupt local livelihoods.

“The flyover has improved connectivity in theory, but it has also eliminated parking spaces in areas like Santipur and Bharalumukh,” he said.

Senior citizen Basanta Sen Deka offered a more balanced perspective. While acknowledging that some work has been done, he believes essential services still require improvement.

“The government has carried out development work and the flyover construction itself is not a problem But drinking water remains a major concern. We do receive some supply now, but it is still not sufficient,” he said.

Persistent civic challenges in Bishnu Nagar

In Bishnu Nagar, residents say the drinking water crisis continues to dominate public concerns. Local resident Gautam Bora noted that drainage and canal infrastructure also require urgent attention.

“The canals here do not have proper embankments and construction work has been left incomplete in several places. Years ago, the MLA had assured us that the drinking water problem would be solved, but the issue still persists,” he said.

Bora added that while discussions and promises have been frequent, visible solutions have remained limited. “Work has been initiated, but it has not progressed the way people expected,” he said.

Hill residents seek basic amenities & land rights

The concerns become even more pronounced in the hill areas of Central Guwahati, including Adingiri Hill, where residents say they struggle with multiple challenges.

Elderly resident Nilkantha Das pointed to three issues that dominate life in the hills. “Water supply is inadequate, sanitation facilities are poor, and most importantly, many families do not have land ownership documents. Without land rights, people live with constant uncertainty about their future,” he said.

Women residents also highlighted the daily difficulties caused by poor infrastructure. Moromee Biswas said the poor condition of roads significantly affects daily life.

“The roads here are extremely bad. During elections, leaders make many promises, but only a few are fulfilled. The lack of water and proper roads makes everyday life difficult.,” she said.

Another resident, Dipika Phukan, described the same challenges. “The roads are in terrible condition and there is almost no reliable water supply. Because of the poor roads, even basic commuting becomes very difficult,” she said.

For local resident Gokul Roy, those living in hilly areas are enduring issues for a long time. “Drinking water is one of the biggest challenges here. But we also face issues related to land ownership. Many people have been living in these areas for years but still do not have proper land rights. Leaders talk about solving these issues, but concrete steps are yet to be seen,” he said.

Political aspirants weigh in

With multiple aspirants vying for party nominations in the constituency, political leaders are presenting different narratives about the development trajectory of Central Guwahati.

Congress aspirant Bandip Dutta framed the election as a contest between the ruling party and public grievances. “This election is essentially between the BJP government and the common people. The issues faced by citizens like drinking water shortages, artificial flooding, poor drainage and damaged pipelines, remain unresolved even after years of governance.,” she said.

Dutta also highlighted the concerns of residents living in Guwahati’s hill areas.

“Nearly four lakh people live in the hills of Guwahati and a large majority of them still do not have land ownership. If Congress forms the government, we will ensure that hill residents receive land rights,” she said.

On the other hand, BJP aspirant Devan Dhrubajyoti Morle expressed confidence in the party’s prospects in the newly redrawn constituency.

“Central Guwahati has always had strong support for the BJP. In the previous election, the seat went to our alliance partner AGP, but the organisational strength of BJP remains strong here. People have benefited from government schemes and their trust in the government has grown,” he said.

Sitting MLA speaks out

Sitting BJP MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita also expressed optimism about retaining the seat in the upcoming election.

“After delimitation, this will be the first election in the newly structured constituency, and we are confident about our prospects. “Development work has been carried out across the constituency, including improvements in national highways and local infrastructure,” Kalita said.

He acknowledged that certain issues remain unresolved but said efforts are underway to address them.

“In some areas the sub-roads still need improvement, and work on drinking water projects is ongoing. By July or August, the water supply schemes will become operational. Additionally, under Basundhara 5.0, land rights will be granted to eligible residents,” he said.

As election campaigns gather momentum, the voices emerging from Central Guwahati reflect a familiar electoral narrative seen across many urban constituencies in Assam with visible development projects on one hand and unresolved everyday civic problems on the other.

As Central Guwahati prepares for its first Assembly election after restructuring, the constituency stands at a crossroads. The outcome may depend less on campaign narrative and more on whether voters believe the next legislator will finally deliver the long-promised solutions to these enduring civic challenges.