Assam bypolls: Campaigning for five Assembly seats to conclude today

Assam bypolls: 34 candidates in the fray in five assembly seats

The campaign for the bypolls in five Assembly constituencies in Assam will come to a close on Monday, with the stage set for polling in Dholai, Samaguri, Behali, Bongaigaon, and Sidli. The bypolls were necessitated after five sitting legislators were elected to the Lok Sabha during this year’s general elections.

Among the five constituencies, Samaguri stands out as a stronghold for Congress, with veteran leader Rakibul Hussain winning the seat since 2001. The other four seats—Dholai, Behali, Bongaigaon, and Sidli—are currently held by candidates from the ruling BJP-led alliance. Political observers note that Samaguri’s Muslim-dominated voter base gives Congress a significant edge, making it a key battleground in the bypolls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded candidates in three of the five constituencies: Diplu Ranjan Sarma in Samaguri, and Diganta Ghatowar and Nihar Ranjan Das in Behali and Dholai, respectively. The party’s allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) are contesting the bypolls in Bongaigaon and Sidli. A total of 34 candidates are in the fray in the five Assembly seats that are going to by-polls on the 13th of November.

The Samaguri constituency has witnessed sporadic violence during the campaigning period, with clashes reported between BJP and Congress supporters. Tensions escalated late on Saturday when suspected armed assailants opened fire on a BJP procession in the Moriputhi area of Samaguri, injuring at least three individuals, including Barhampur MLA Jitu Goswami.

Witnesses reported that the attackers initially threw stones and then physically assaulted the participants with sticks before opening fire on the group. The attack also caused damage to Goswami’s vehicle. Local police have launched an investigation into the incident, but no arrests have been made as of yet.

In the wake of the attack, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the violence and accused Congress supporters of resorting to intimidation tactics. Sarma took to social media to express his outrage, writing, “I strongly condemn the attack on Hon’ble MLA Shri Jitu Goswami in Samaguri by @INCAssam supporters. This is the same Congress that proudly holds up the Constitution for the cameras, yet resorts to violence under cover of darkness to intimidate our karyakartas.”

Sarma further claimed that Congress’s actions were driven not by fear of electoral defeat, but by a desperate attempt to retain their core voter base. “The real question is, why has Congress stooped to such depths in this by-election? It’s not just fear of defeat but the desperation to hold on to their core vote bank that drives them to such extremes,” he added.

As the campaign period concludes, all eyes will be on the electorate in these constituencies. While Congress holds an advantage in Samaguri, the BJP’s dominance in the other four constituencies suggests a competitive race. Voters will head to the polls on the scheduled dates, and the results are expected to have significant implications for the political landscape in Assam in the run-up to the 2024 state elections.

Security arrangements are being strengthened across the constituencies to ensure smooth and peaceful polling, particularly in Samaguri, where political tensions have run high.

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