If the results of the just concluded lok Sabha elections in Assam are any indication, the BJP has hurt the Congress where it hurts the most.
The BJP has not only grabbed seven seats out of the total 14 lok Sabha seats in Assam, but also snatched four seats from the Congress in Assam’s tea belt area, which have served as the dedicated vote bank of the Congress in the State.The saffron party has won the Dibrugarh, Jorhat, lakhimpur seats from the Congress and Tezpur seat from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) with huge margins in the recently concluded general elections.
Rameswar Teli of the BJP snatched the Dibrugarh lok Sabha seat from Congress candidate Paban Singh Ghatowar with a margin of 1,85,347 votes in the polls. While Teli polled 4,94,364 votes, Union Doner Minister Ghatowar could poll only 3,09,017 votes. Ghatowar has been holding the Dibrugarh seat since 1991 barring 2004, when he had lost the seat to Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).Similarly, BJP’s young leader Kamakhya Prasad Tasa defeated Congress’ Bijoy Krishna Handique in Jorhat with a margin of 1,02,420 votes. While Tasa polled 4,56,420 votes, Handique polled only 3,54,00 votes. A former Union Minister, Handique has been winning the seat since last six terms.
President of the Assam unit of the BJP, Sarbananda Sonowal also snatched the lakhimpur lok Sabha seat from Congress’ Ranee Narah over a margin of 2,92,138 votes. Sonowal polled 6,12,543 votes but Union minister of State for Tribal Affairs Narah could poll only 3,20,405 votes.
BJP’s RP Sharma had also drubbed Congress’ Bhupen Bora in Tezpur with a margin of 86,080 votes. Although, Tezpur seat was held by AGP’s Joseph Toppo in Parliament at present, it used to be a Congress forte for a long time. Congress’ Mani Kumar Subba had been winning the seat since 1998 till he lost the seat to AGP in 2009.
The saffron party also gave a tough fight to the Congress in Kaliabor lok Sabha constituency, which also has large-scale tea garden voters. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s son Gourav Gogoi won the seat this time by polling 4,43,315. However, BJP’s Mrinal Kumar Saikia lost the seat by a margin of 93,874 votes. Kaliabor seat was held by Gourav’s uncle Dip Gogoi for last several terms.