NALBARI, March 29 - Electioneering in no. 60-Barkshetri Assembly constituency in Nalbari district is gradually picking up as the contesting candidates have been trying to woo the confidence of voters in the religious minority-dominated constituency. Though the constituency has 12 candidates in the poll battle, a straight fight between Congress candidate Diganta Barman and BJP nominee Narayan Deka is on the cards here. The other candidates from the constituency are � Akram Hussain Talukdar (AIDUF), Mantu Baruah (Ind), Bipul Goswami (Ind), Manomati Das (Ind), Raju Barman (Ind), Raju Deka (Ind), Dipak Kalita (Ind), Kamalesh Deka (Ind), Bhumidhar Barman (Ind) and Raju Deka (Ind).
The minority voters of the constituency will decide the fate of the candidates in Barkshetri LAC. More than 40,000 voters of char areas of the constituency have become the deciding factor. The Congress has been getting the support of the char areas for a long time. In the last election, the AIUDF candidate got support from a section of these voters. The constituency has 1,65,065 voters including 2,22,958 women voters.
It may be mentioned here that after Barkshetri was declared as a constituency in 1978, the Congress won the seat for five times while AGP won it for two times and JNP won it once. In 1978, JNP candidate Chand Mahammad, for the first time, won the seat with 24,717 votes from the constituency. He defeated Congress candidate Ramesh Ch Choudhury who got only 8,782 votes. In the Assembly poll of 1983, Chand Mahammad contested as a Congress candidate and was elected to the Assembly. After the conclusion of the Assam Movement in 1985, a wave swept the voters of Barkshetri LAC and AGP candidate Pulakesh Baruah won the seat getting 43,590 votes. Independent candidate Sonabar Ali captured only 19,213 votes. However, in the Assembly poll of 1991 senior Congress leader Dr Bhumidhar Barman, who migrated from the Dharmapur LAC, won the seat with 30,243 votes defeating his nearest rival Pulakesh Baruah who got 28,336 votes. Pulakesh Baruah, who has a strong hold in the constituency, regained the seat in 1996 poll capturing 46,928 votes. In that election, Congress candidate Dr Bhumidhar Barman got only 40,166 votes. During the second term of AGP Government, Baruah was deprived of a ministerial berth and the constituency suffered a major setback in developmental works. In 2001 Assembly election, Baruah was defeated with a big margin of 36,000 votes by Dr Bhumidhar Barman.
Since the 2001 poll, Dr Bhumidhar Barman never looked back as he won the seat in 2006 and 2011 Assembly elections.
Both the leaders have been contesting from the constituency for a long period. They enjoy tremendous popularity among their supporters in their own pockets. However, it is unfortunate for the voters of the Barkshetri LAC that both Dr Bhumidhar Barman and Pulakesh Baruah are no more in the poll battle this time. Dr Barman, who completed 85 years, retired from active politics while Pulakesh Baruah, who joined the BJP, was denied the party ticket. The Congress has issued party ticket to the son of Dr Bhumidhar Barman from the constituency.
It needs no mention here that the Barkshetri constituency will witness a straight fight between Congress candidate Diganta Barman and BJP candidate Narayan Deka. Both the candidates have been trying to woo the confidence of Barkshetri voters by holding street-corner meetings, public meetings and house-to-house campaigns.
