GUWAHATI, April 9 � The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has overcome its initial hiccups caused by the anti-incumbency factor against its candidate Kabindra Purkayastha in Silchar Lok Sabha constituency, and is now ready to wage an electoral battle with the Congress as its nearest rival in the constituency.
On the other hand, the Congress is hopeful of wresting the seat from the BJP this time, relegating the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) to the third spot in the electoral battle for the seat. The Congress has fielded Susmita Dev, while the AGP has fielded newspaper owner Bijoy Krishna Nath and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has fielded Kutub Ahmed Mazumdar as their candidates.
Last time, BJP�s Purkayastha had bagged 2,43,532 votes and won the election, against the 2,02,062 votes obtained by AIUDF candidate Badruddin Ajmal, his nearest rival.
But this time, due to their hitch in nominating their candidates, both the AIUDF and the AGP have got their respective support bases affected, said Uday Shankar Goswami, BJP co-ordinator for the Lok Sabha seat.
AGP candidate Bijoy Krishna Nath�s name was almost final as the AIUDF candidate for the seat. But in the eleventh hour, the AIUDF nominated Kutub Ahmed Mazumdar and this has benefited the BJP, Goswami claimed.
Though the exact size of the winning margin of the BJP is yet to be ascertained, it is expected that the BJP is retaining the seat with a big margin, Goswami claimed.
On the other hand, Congress� Senior Parliamentary Constituency In-charge Karnendu Bhattacharjee told this newspaper that the response of the people to the Congress is encouraging and the electoral prospect of its candidate for the seat is very good. All sections of people attended the mass rally addressed by Rahul Gandhi at Udharbond Rajiv Gandhi stadium today. In the seven Legislative Assembly Constituencies under the Lok Sabha constituency, the Congress is going to perform significantly well, Bhattacharjee claimed.
Significantly, AIUDF candidate Kutub Ahmed Mazumdar told this newspaper that he would face a straight contest with the Congress candidate Sushmita Dev. However, who will win the seat is still not clear, Mazumdar said.
AGP general secretary and in-charge for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections Ramendra Narayan Kalita said that though the picture concerning the seat is yet to be clear, as of today it is seemed that there would be a triangular contest for the seat among the Congress, BJP and the AGP.
Party president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is on a two-day visit of the constituency, Kalita said.