GUWAHATI, April 4 - Unlike the trend usually noticed during elections in India, when denial of tickets to particular aspirants frequently leads to desertions and to disgruntled leaders seeking nominations from other parties or contesting as Independents, this Lok Sabha poll has not witnessed the phenomenon of �rebel� candidates among major political parties in the State.
Even as many unsuccessful aspirants in Assam have openly vented their anger or disappointment after failing to secure nomination to contest the forthcoming polls, no notable figures from the major parties have jumped into the fray as rebel candidates.
It is noteworthy that the ruling BJP dropped as many as five of its seven sitting MPs in Assam this time and replaced them with new faces. While Tezpur MP RP Sarmah came out strongly against the party�s decision, the other four sitting lawmakers fell in line without much protest.
Even Sarmah refrained from contesting as an Independent or seeking candidature from any other party against the official BJP nominee, though he had initially hinted at taking such a step.
While Sarmah has so far stayed away from the party�s poll campaign, the other four dropped MPs are participating in BJP�s electioneering activities.
Similarly, in the Congress party, some ticket aspirants like Bolin Bordoloi in Guwahati and Shahnaz Yasmin Haque in Barpeta voiced their disappointment after being overlooked by the party but none have openly rebelled against the organisation.
AIUDF�s decision to contest from only three constituencies this time meant that aspirants in other seats were left without any hope of getting a chance to enter the ring but there have so far been no murmurs of dissent within the party.
This is happening here even as reports from various other States over the last few weeks clearly show that party hopping and rebellion are becoming the flavour of the Lok Sabha poll season.
�BJP�s ideology is �nation first, party second and self third�. Everybody follows this ideology in our party. Our serving MPs who were denied tickets this time are out campaigning in the field for those who were nominated. All are contributing their best for the party,� said State BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami.
�All BJP members, including those holding ministerial positions, are mere karyakartas of the party. You will notice that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma are accompanying all our candidates during filing of nomination papers. That is the kind of team spirit we have in the BJP,� he added.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) secretary Rituparna Konwar said there are no rebel candidates of the party in any constituency of Assam.
�This Lok Sabha elections are exceptional in the sense that this time, the battle is for the survival of Indian democracy and the Constitution of our country. Individual ambitions have taken a back seat. Those in our party who applied for tickets but were not lucky are still taking active part in canvassing for those who were nominated. All are contributing to our election efforts. Durga Das Boro did not get ticket from the Kokrajhar constituency but he went with Sabda Rabha when the latter filed nomination. Similarly, Gayatri Handique, who did not get ticket from Jorhat, is now campaigning for our candidate Sushanta Borgohain,� Konwar said.
AIUDF general secretary Haidor Hussain Bora said the decision to contest from only three seats was taken after detailed deliberations within the party.
The AGP has witnessed some in-house ramblings in recent weeks, including desertions by middle-rung leaders and open show of discontent by former chief minister and party founder Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. But that is due to the regional party�s decision to renew ties with the BJP, rather than on the question of ticket allocation for the General Elections.
