DIBRUGARH, Oct 10 � The Indian National Congress (INC) won the Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council (SKAC) polls with a simple majority, pocketing 14 out of the 26 seats in the State, but the dwindling influence of the ruling party in the district here cannot be written off, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 6 out 11 SKAC seats in the district. The defeat of Milan Sonowal, the Chief Executive Councillor of SKAC, has been a setback for the INC party here. The counting of votes was done today.
The Indian National Congress won in No.6 Rongchongi, No.9 Kamargaon, No.10 Naharkatia, No.11 Khatuwa and No.16 Saharikota SKAC constituencies, while they lost in No.7 Tengakhat, No.8 Kheremia, No.12 Lepetkata, No.13 Mancotta, No.14 Kutuha and No.15 Khowang constituencies to BJP in the district.
Diganta Hazarika of INC won in Rongchongi constituency by a margin of 283 votes, Anamika Borsaikia of BJP won the Tengakhat seat by a margin of 406 votes, Ridip Hazarika of BJP won in Kheremia constituency by a margin of 300 votes, Dipen Saikia of INC won in Kamargaon constituency by a margin of 205 votes, Biswajit Sonowal of INC won the Naharkatia seat by a margin of 157 votes, Shankar Sonowal of INC won in Khatuwa by a margin of 269 votes, Madan Chandra Hazarika of BJP won the Lepetkata seat by a margin of 535 votes, Mala Sonowal Boruah of BJP won the Kutuha constituency by a margin of 520 votes, Dipuranjan Markari of BJP won in Khowang constituency by a margin of 884 votes, Bhakti Prasad Sonowal of INC won the Saharikota seat by a margin of 102 votes and Rishikesh Saikia of BJP won in Mancotta by a margin of 103 votes, defeating Milan Sonowal, the present chief of SKAC. The Milan Sonowal-led body ruled SKAC for eight long years.
As gathered from sources, the BJP won three SKAC seats in Tinsukia district, while INC won two SKAC seats in Jorhat, three out of the four SKAC seats in Dhemaji, two SKAC seats in Tinsukia and one each in Sivasagar and Golaghat districts. Asom Gana Parishad managed to win only one SKAC seat in Lakhimpur district, while Independent candidates won in one of the 4 SKAC seats in Dhemaji and one of the two SKAC seats in Lakhimpur district.
In the only Dehing Sessa constituency of Mising Autonomous Council in the district, Independent candidate Prasanta Kumar Bori emerged successful by a margin of 523 votes, defeating his nearest rival Mrinal Milli of BJP.