Triangular contest among suspended MLAs sets stage for fight in Algapur-Katlicherra
A newly delimited constituency in Hailakandi is witnessing a high-stakes multi-cornered contest, with key candidates battling amid local concerns
Crowd at a campaign meeting at Algapur-Katlicherra constituency (Photo: @NasirHussainINC / X)
Hailakandi, April 7: The Algapur-Katlicherra Assembly constituency in Hailakandi district is all set to witness multi-cornered contests in the ensuing polls.
Remarkably, three sitting MLAs of the district are contesting against each other in this minority-dominated new constituency, created through delimitation.
It is pertinent to mention that all the three sitting MLAs – Nijam Uddin Choudhury, Suzam Uddin Laskar, and Jakir Hussain Laskar – have been already suspended from the AIUDF on charges of anti-party activities.
Of them, Jakir Hussain Laskar joined the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) just before the declaration of the election date and he is contesting as the AGP-BJP alliance candidate. The other two MLAs are contesting as Independent candidates.
The Indian National Congress (INC) candidate, Jubair Anam Mazumdar, is another contestant in this seat. Mazumdar, an architect by training who has built his political career through the NSUI, is strategically focusing on regional issues.
Despite the presence of 15 candidates, the contest is expected to be among these four candidates.
The constituency has an electorate of 2,78,364 with the inclusion of 903 new voters. Of them, 1,45,645 are male, 1,32,717 are female, and two are transgender voters.
Interestingly, the demographic structure of this newly created constituency has been changed and about 50,000 Hindu voters will be the deciding factor, according to political experts of the area.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister of State Ajoy Tamta, State Cabinet Minister and AGP chief Atul Bora, and some other top NDA leaders have campaigned for AGP candidate Jakir Hussain Laskar.
On the other hand, former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot has campaigned for the Congress candidate.
Most of the candidates have opted for the strategy of organising small village-level meetings to woo the voters.
Meanwhile, local voters have voiced certain grievances. Fakrul Islam, a farmer of the locality, says that the Algapur-Katlicherra constituency has not been developed like other places. According to him, the vast area of Bakrihawar is mostly submerged by water during the rainy season and no concrete flood control scheme has been intiated to provide some respite to the local farmers.
A small trader, Najrul Haque, alleges that most of the rural roads are in a dilapidated state, adding that no remarkable development has been done for Algapur despite the fact that it had a minister in Prafulla Kumar Mahanta’s Cabinet twice (in 1985 and 1991).