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Direct contest likely between BJP, Cong in Lakhimpur HPC

By Correspondent

DOOMDOOMA, April 3 - Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency in Assam will vote in the 2019 election to form the 17th Lok Sabha on April 11 along with four other constituencies out of 14 in the State.

The HPC comprises nine Assembly constituencies, namely, Majuli, Naoboicha, Lakhimpur, Dhakuakhana, Dhemaji, Jonai, Chabua, Doomdooma and Sadiya and a total of 16,81,834 voters will exercise their franchise in the election.

The LAC wise distribution of these voters are � Majuli-1,25,016, Naoboicha-2,01,891, Lakhimpur-1,74,825, Dhakuakhona-1,94,043, Dhemaji-2,35,986, Jonai-2,84,023, Chabua-1,49,319, Doomdooma-1,41,520 and Sadiya-1,75,211.

Lakhimpur HPC is said to be one of the most politically active and vibrant constituencies in the State. The population of the constituency is multi-cultural and multi-ethnic in nature. The HPC had been under the dominance of Congress most of the time since 1967. In that year Congress candidate Biswanarayan Shastri emerged as the first MP of the Lakhimpur seat. He won from the seat for the second term in 1971. In 1977 Lalit Kumar Doley of Congress, in 1985 Gakul Saikia of AGP, in 1991 Bolin Kuli of Congress, in 1996 Arun Kumar Sharma of AGP, in 1998 & 1999 Ranee Narah of Congress, in 2004 Arun Kumar Sharma of AGP and in 2009 Ranee Narah of Congress won from this seat. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Sarbananda Sonowal of the BJP won the seat defeating Congress candidate Ranee Narah by 2,92,138 votes. The BJP retained the constituency in the bye-election in 2016 after Sarbananda Sonowal vacated the seat to take over as the Chief Minister of the State. Pradan Baruah of BJP defeated Hema Hari Prasanna Pegu of the Congress by almost two lakh votes to retain the seat for the BJP.

In the ensuing election for the formation of the 17th Lok Sabha, a bilateral contest is expected in the HPC. Though the number of the candidates in fray in the election of the HPC is 11 with Anil Borgohain of INC, Anup Pratim Baruah of Nationalist Congress Party, Amiya Kumar Handique of Communist Party of India (Marxist), Arup Kalita of Communist Party of India, Pradan Baruah of BJP, Ubaidur Rahman of Asom Jana Mancha, Dilip Moran of Assam Dristi Party, Bhupen Narah of Voter�s Party International, Hem Kanta Miri of Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), and Independent candidates Ambaz Uddin and Prabhu Lal Vaisnava, the main contest will be between BJP and Congress.

However, BJP candidate Pradan Baruah will face a tough challenge due to anti-incumbency factors. Moreover, the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 may create a hazard for him in his next journey to Delhi. But , this time the ruling party is hoping to get total support from the Hindu Bengali voters on the plea of CAB. Moreover , the BJP should be able to penetrate the traditional Congress vote banks in the tea gardens of the constituency through various schemes introduced by the State government to woo the tea labourers.

On the other hand , BJP�s alliance partner Gana Shakti has a strong base in the constituency which may help the BJP candidate. But, it is still a big question whether the another alliance partner AGP supporters will cast their votes in favour of the BJP candidate or not as majority of AGP supporters are unhappy with the AGP-BJP reunion.

Moreover, Assam Dristi Party candidate Dilip Moran may also create problem for the BJP candidate. Moran, a former BJP leader and MLA of Doomdooma LAC quit BJP and contested the bye-election in 2016 in this seat as an Independent candidate when the BJP refused to give him party ticket. In that bye-election Moran was able to get 42,667 votes. This time too, he is supposed to get good support from the people, specially in Doomdooma and Sadiya LACs.

Similarly, a section of Congress workers is maintaining a neutral stand, being unsatisfied with the allotment of party ticket to established businessman Anil Borgohain who is not a widely known person across the constituency.

On the other hand, Amiya Kumar Hundique of CPI (M) and Arup Kalita of CPI are expected to emerge as crucial factors in the election in the HPC. Still the Congress candidate is trying his best to woo the voters in favour of him.

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