Bipolar fight likely in Assam by-polls

Guwahati, Nov 6 : Two Assembly constituencies go to by-election tomorrow in Assam as the ruling Congress will endeavour to extend its domination while the Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is keen to keep their respective bastions intact.

Both the Assembly constituencies - South Salmara and Dhekiajuli - had fallen vacant after the sitting MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha.

It is a battle of pride for the AGP in Dhekiajuli and the party has gone all-out to retain it.

The party had maintained an undefeated run in the constituency for over a decade with Joseph Toppo representing it in the state Assembly. He has now been elected to the Lok Sabha from Tezpur, necessitating this by-poll.

The by-election is a face-saving battle for the AGP as this is expected to be the last election before the state Assembly general poll by next year end, especially as the party had been losing every election since 2001.

All major AGP leaders, including Toppo, president CM Patowary and former chief minister PK Mahanta, have been campaigning for its candidate Shiba Charan Sahu.

The Congress too is leaving no stone unturned in this battle of the ballots with all state Congress bigwigs, including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and his Cabinet colleagues and APCC chief Bhubaneswar Kalita, leading the campaign.

The Congress candidate in Dhekiajuli, Bhimananda Tanti, is expected to put up stiff competition to AGP, with the other candidates unlikely to make much of an impact except playing minor spoilers.

The ruling party is equally focused on South Salmara where former minister Wajed Ali Choudhury is the candidate.

Choudhury's entire political future hangs on this by-election as he was defeated by Badruddin Ajmal here in the 2006 Assembly election and is now pitted against Ajmal's son, Abdur Rahman Ajmal.

Ajmal senior has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Dhubri, thereby leading to this by-election.

The AGP has left this seat for its ally BJP, whose candidate Shafiqul Hussain is unexpected to make much of a show.

Altogether 1,31,836 voters will elect from among five candidates in South Salmara while 1,61,959 electors will exercise their franchise to choose their representative from among seven candidates in Dhekiajuli.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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