Ruling BJP set to retain Assam’s Majuli seat
Congress, which won the seat thrice between 2001 and 2011, left it for the AJP, a newly formed regional party
GUWAHATI: Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looked set to retain the Majuli assembly seat in Assam, where by-poll was held last week. Sarbananda Sonowal represented the seat before he became a Union minister last year and Himanta Biswa Sarma succeeded him as the chief minister of Assam.
After three rounds of counting, BJP’s Bhuban Gam was leading with 13,512 votes in Majuli. His nearest rival, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP)’s Chittaranjan Basumatary, had secured 4,487 and Independent candidate Bhaity Richong 333 votes.
Congress, which won the seat thrice between 2001 and 2011, left it for the AJP. AJP is a newly formed regional party, which failed to win any seat in last year’s assembly polls in the state.
The BJP, which swept back to power in the state for the second time last summer, and its ally United People’s Party Liberal won all five seats for which by-polls were held in November.