Assam and Tripura will kick-start the 16th lok Sabha elections on Monday. Polling will be held in five out of 14 lok Sabha constituencies in Assam and one of the two constituencies in Tripura. Security concerns, however, remain for the peaceful conduct of the polls as April 7 is also the ‘rising day’ of United liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa).
While over 64 lakh electorates are expected to exercise their franchise in the five lok Sabha constituencies in Assam — Tezpur, Jorhat, Kaliabor, Dibrugarh and lakhimpur —about 12 lakh voters will vote to elect a candidate in West Tripura lok Sabha constituency. A total of 51 candidates are in the fray for the first phase of polls in Assam and 13 candidates are contesting from the West Tripura lok Sabha constituency. Campaigning for the first phase of polls came to an end on Saturday evening.
The BJP, which has been able to gain popularity in the State in the last few years, is aiming to improve its tally in the Congress bastion for the last three consecutive terms. In a bid to increase the party’s prospects in North-East, BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had addressed nine rallies in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura in the past one month.
In at least three of the five constituencies going to polls in Assam on Monday, it will be a direct contest between the ruling Congress and the BJP. While Tezpur lok Sabha constituency is likely to witness a tough contest between Congress’ Bhupen Bora and BJP’s RP Sharma, in lakhimpur constituency it is expected to be a straight fight between Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Ranee Narah of the Congress and BJP’s State president Sarbananda Sonowal.
A straight contest between CPI(M)’s Sankar Prasad Datta and Congress’ Arunoday Saha is expected on the West Tripura lok Sabha constituency. The left has won the seat 11 times since the first lok Sabha election of 1952, while the Congress could bag the seat only four times.
Besides the Modi effect, the growing dissidence among the Congress leaders in lakhimpur constituency is likely to help the BJP candidate sail through. Similarly, in Jorhat lok Sabha constituency, BJP’s Kamakhya Prasad Tasa is likely to put up a brave fight against former Union Minister and Congress heavyweight Bijoy Krishna Handique. Tasa, who hails from the tea tribe community, is likely to erode the votes of tea community which used to be the loyal vote bank of the Congress.
In Dibrugarh, Congress’ sitting MP and Union Doner Minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar is likely to face a tough competition from Rameswar Teli of the BJP. Teli, hailing from a tea tribe, is banking on his clean image as a leader to fight with Ghatowar.
“There will be 235 companies of forces which have been deployed across the State to ensure smooth conduction of the polls. Besides Central Paramilitary there will be over 10,000 Home Guards and un-armed police personnel, which have already been deployed as per the requirement,” said Assam’s Additional Director General of Police AP Raut, adding, that although there is no specific threat to the polls the police do not want to take chances.