Lok Sabha polls: Bigwigs in fray in first phase in Northeast

Guwahati: With the last date of withdrawal of nominations for the first phase ending on Saturday, battlelines have been drawn for polling in most Lok Sabha seats in Northeast and assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh.

Several bigwigs from the region, including Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Kiren Rijiju, former chief minister Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb and former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki, and deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi are in the fray for the first phase to be held on April 19.

In Assam, five seats – Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Kaziranga, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur, would witness voting in the first phase. There are 35 candidates in these seats. Among them, two seats – Dibrugarh and Jorhat would be in focus.

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In Dibrugarh, there are three candidates in the fray. But the main contest would be between former chief minister and present Union minister for shipping and ports Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi – the common candidate from the INDIA bloc alliance.

Sonowal, 62, is a Rajya Sabha MP while his rival Gogoi, a former student-leader-turned-politician, is a debutant in the parliamentary election. The 45-year-old had unsuccessfully contested the last assembly polls in 2021. The third candidate in the seat is Manoj Dhanowar of the Aam Admi Party.

In 2019, the Dibruarh seat was represented by Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Rameshwar Teli, a Union minister of state in the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led cabinet. But this time, the party decided to give the ticket to Sonowal, replacing Teli.

In the neighbouring Jorhat, Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi would be attempting to overthrow sitting BJP MP Topon Kumar Gogoi. The other two candidates in the seat are Arun Kumar Handique from Ekam Sanatan Bharat Dal and Independent Raj Kumar Duwara.

Gogoi had won from the Kaliabor (now Kaziranga) seat twice in 2014 and 2019, but after a change in the seat’s boundaries following Assam delimitation last year, Congress gave him the ticket from Jorhat, a seat represented by his late father and former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, thrice since 1971.

“In an environment where politics is bitter and divided, our campaign spreads hope and joy...People are eager for change,” Gaurav posted on X on Saturday.

Also Read: BJP announces support to candidates of three regional parties in Northeast

In Arunachal Pradesh, Union minister for earth sciences and food processing Kiren Rijiju is contesting from the Arunachal West seat. The 52-year-old has represented the constituency thrice since 2004. Rijiju’s main rival is former chief minister and present president of Arunachal Pradesh Congress Nabam Tuki.

“Once elected, I will work for the people of the state and India and raise my voice for economic and social justice for all,” Tuki said.

Elections to the Arunachal Pradesh assembly will also be held in the first phase. But with 10 BJP candidates including chief minister Pema Khandu and his deputy Chowna Mein winning unopposed, polling will be held in the remaining 50. Arunachal Pradesh has 60 assembly seats.

In the Inner Manipur seat in the strife-torn state, BJP replaced Union minister of state for external affairs and education RK Ranjan Singh with Manipur education minister T Basantakumar Singh. His main contest would be against Congress’s A Bimol Akoijam.

In Nagaland, it would be a three-cornered contest for the lone seat. Congress’s S Supongmeren Jamir and independent Hayithung Tungoe Lotha would try to outnumber the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party’s (NDPP) Chumben Murry, who has the support of all 60 MLAs in the assembly.

In Tripura, BJP has fielded former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb from the West Tripura seat, which will go to polls in the first phase. His main rival is Congress state president Ashish Kumar Saha.

Also Read: 133 candidates in fray for 50 assembly constituencies in Arunachal

In 2019, BJP’s Pratima Bhowmik defeated the then-sitting MP Shankar Prasad Datta from the seat by 305,689 votes. Later, she was made the minister of state of social justice and empowerment in the Modi-led cabinet. This time the party denied the ticket to her.

In Meghalaya, the BJP has decided to support candidates of the ruling partner – the National Peoples’ Party (NPP). Shillong would also witness a direct contest between Congress’s sitting MP Vincent Pala and NPP minister Ampareen Lyngdoh. In the Tura seat, Agatha Sangma, sister of sitting MP and chief minister Conrad Sangma, would be up against Trinamool Congress’ Zenith Sangma, a former minister.

In the Mizoram’s lone Lok Sabha seat there will be a multi-cornered contest between ruling Zoram Peoples Movement candidate Richard Vanlalhmangaiha, BJP state president Vanlalhmuaka, Mizo National Front’s K Vanlalvena, Congress’s Lalbiakzama.