Guwahati, 24th April: The high-pitched campaign for five parliamentary constituencies in Assam, scheduled for the second phase of polls on April 26, came to a close on Wednesday, with a total of 61 candidates vying for victory.
The constituencies up for grabs include two in Barak Valley – Silchar (SC) and Karimganj, one in the hill district – Diphu (ST), and two in the Brahmaputra Valley – Nagaon and Darrang-Udalguri.
Key national leaders made their presence felt during the campaign, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah holding a roadshow in Silchar (SC) in support of BJP candidate Parimal Suklabaidya. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also campaigned for the Trinamool Congress candidate Radheshyam Biswas in Silchar (SC).
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spearheaded the BJP’s campaign with daily rallies across all constituencies, while Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal supported BJP candidates in Silchar (SC) and Karimganj.
Opposition parties mainly relied on state leaders for their campaigns. Leaders like Gaurav Gogoi, Akhil Gogoi, and Lurinjyoti Gogoi campaigned for Congress candidates in Barak Valley.
The BJP campaign focused on highlighting development schemes and achievements, while opposition parties emphasized citizenship issues, connectivity, infrastructural development, unemployment, and other concerns.
Karimganj constituency has the highest number of candidates, with a triangular contest expected among sitting BJP MP Kripanath Malla, Hafez Rashid Choudhury of Congress, and AIUDF’s Sahibul Alam Choudhury.
In Silchar, the contest is likely to be triangular between BJP’s Parimal Suklabaidya, Surya Kanta Sarkar of Congress, and Radheyshyam Biswa of Trinamool Congress.
Diphu (ST) has five candidates in the fray, with a contest expected between BJP’s Amarsing Tisso and Joyram Engleng of Congress.
Nagaon sees a triangular contest between sitting Congress MP Prodyut Bordoloi, BJP’s Suresh Bora, and AIUDF’s Aminul Islam, with 13 candidates in total.
In Darrang-Udalguri, the contest is expected to be direct between sitting BJP MP Dilip Saikia and Congress candidate Madhab Rajbongshi, with 11 candidates in the fray.
The first phase of LS polls saw a voter turnout of 78.25%, deciding the fate of 35 candidates for constituencies including Kaziranga, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, and Lakhimpur.
In the outgoing Lok Sabha, BJP held nine seats, Congress three, while AIUDF and an independent held one each from the state.
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