Guwahati, 7th April: As Assam gears up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, a vibrant array of candidates has emerged, showcasing a spectrum of age groups vying for parliamentary seats. Among the contenders, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal stands out as he seeks re-election from the Dibrugarh constituency.
The age dynamics of the candidates reflect a blend of experience and youthful energy. At 62, Sarbananda Sonowal, a prominent figure in Assam politics, joins seven other senior citizens in the electoral race for constituencies set to go to polls in the first phase on April 19.
Leading the pack as the oldest candidate at 67 is seasoned MLA Ranjit Dutta, contesting from Sonitpur. Following suit is Uday Shankar Hazarika, aged 65 and representing the Congress in Lakhimpur. On the other end of the spectrum, 27-year-old Gobin Biswakarma, running independently in Lakhimpur, represents the youthful vigor in the electoral fray.
Notably, the first phase witnesses a significant presence of candidates in their forties, including Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi at 41, and BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa at 49, reflecting a balance of seasoned leadership and emerging voices.
Gender representation also finds its place, with four women candidates stepping into the arena. Among them, Anima Deka Gupta, Dilwara Begum Chowdhury, and Roselina Tirkey, aged 53, 43, and 42 respectively, are vying for a seat from the Kaziranga constituency.
In total, 35 candidates will contest across Kaziranga, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, and Lakhimpur constituencies in the state’s first phase of polling, promising a diverse electoral landscape characterized by age, experience, and gender. This broad spectrum of candidates underscores the democratic vibrancy of Assam’s political landscape.