A Correspondent
NAGAON, March 9: Electioneering is gaining momentum in Nagaon district, with the supporters of the BJP-led alliance, Congress and the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) reaching out to the voters with lofty promises.
In Samaguri and Batadroba constituencies, there is a possibility of a multi-corner contest. This is obviously due to presence of heavyweights. Former minister Rakibul Hussain has been nominated for the Samaguri seat by the Congress party, while Angoorlata Deka has been nominated by the BJP for the second time. Both the candidates have geared up their campaign in their respective constituencies.
In Batadroba constituency, the total strength of voters is 1,65,808, while the figure for Samaguri stands at 1,63,386. The experts who are closely monitoring the situation are of the view that in Batadroba constituency, sitting MLA Deka is likely to face a tough battle, while in Samaguri, the poll battle will be confined between Rakibul Hussain and the BJP nominee Anil Saikia.
It may be mentioned that in the last election held in 2016, BJP candidate Angoorlata Deka had won from the Batadroba constituency by a margin of 5,885 votes. Deka had polled 46,343 votes and the Congress candidate Gautam Bora got 40,458, while AIUDF candidate Nazir Uddin Ahmed bagged 33,022 votes.
This time, the Congress has forged an alliance with the AIUDF, because of which Deka will be facing a new challenge, as the constituency has been dominated by the minority voters over the years. In the last election, the AIUDF fought separately, and therefore, the entire minority votes were divided. The Congress-led alliance has nominated Sibamoni Bora for the Batadroba seat for the ensuing election, as Bora has a strong base in the constituency.
Congress heavyweight Rakibul Hussain has been dominating the Samaguri constituency since 2001. In the last Assembly election, he had polled 66,364 votes and the BJP candidate Jitu Goswami bagged only 51,849 votes.
