JORHAT/DIBRUGARH, March 22 - The nomination process for the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to polls on April 11 in the first phase of the general election, gained momentum today with two candidates filing their nomination papers at the Jorhat Deputy Commissioner�s office.
Congress candidate Sushanta Borgohain and CPI candidate Kanak Gogoi submitted their papers to the Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Roshni A Korati, who is the Returning Officer for the 12 Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency. The Jorhat Lok Sabha seat comprises 10 Assembly constituencies spread over Jorhat, Sivasagar and Charaideo districts.
Borgohain, accompanied by AICC secretary Rana Goswami, Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, Jorhat district Congress president Dip Gogoi and thousands of party workers, came from Sivasagar to file the nomination papers in a large procession.
Replying to a query, the Congress candidate said that his party�s opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill would be one of the major poll issues as it was related to the future of the Assamese society, its culture and the indigenous languages.
Borgohain is a former MLA of Thowra under the Jorhat Parliamentary constituency and a former Parliamentary Secretary in the last Congress Government in the State.
Earlier in the day, Kanak Gogoi, accompanied by CPI workers and supporters, also came in a procession to file his nomination.
Speaking to media persons, Gogoi said that his campaign would be low profile as his party lagged behind the major parties in terms of money and resources. He added that he has been driven to join the electoral fray to serve the people.
Minister of State for Power (independent charge) Topon Gogoi, who was nominated as the BJP candidate for the Jorhat seat on Thursday, will file his papers on March 25, the last date of filing nominations. Gogoi is at present the legislator of the Sonari Assembly seat within the Jorhat Parliamentary constituency.
It may be mentioned here that the BJP had in the 2014 polls wrested the seat from the Congress, defeating veteran leader and former Union minister Late BK Handique, who had won the seat six times since 1991. The Jorhat Lok Sabha seat has a total of 13,43,875 voters with 6,82,890 male and 6,60,985 female voters.
Meanwhile, sitting Dibrugarh MP Rameswar Teli of the BJP today filed his nomination papers for the 13 Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency. Dibrugarh also goes to polls on April 11.
Teli set off for submitting his nomination papers at the office of the Returning Officer in the company of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, nine MLAs, and about 1,000 supporters.
Later, talking to newsmen, Teli claimed that his electoral victory was a foregone conclusion. In 2014, he had defeated his Congress rival, Paban Singh Ghatowar, by 1,85,347 votes. The two will be locked in a contest once again in the constituency.
A Correspondent from Nagaon adds: Sitting MP Gaurav Gogoi on Friday filed his nomination papers as the Congress candidate for the 11 Kaliabor Parliamentary constituency. Gogoi submitted his nomination papers to the ADC-cum-Assistant Returning Officer. He was accompanied by former Congress ministers Rakibul Hussain, Ajanta Neog, Gautom Bora and others to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Nagaon.
An Independent candidate, Bhaskar Sarma, also filed his nomination papers for the Kaliabor seat on Friday.
