Guwahati, March 23 – Over 800 candidates from various political parties and Independents have filed their nominations for the Assam Assembly elections, officials said on Monday.
The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) stated that a total of 818 candidates have submitted nominations for the 126-member Assembly.
"In several constituencies, candidates filed more than one nomination, resulting in a total of 1,391 nominations," the statement said.
The scrutiny of the nominations will begin on Tuesday, and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is Thursday, the statement added.
Polling will take place on April 9, and the counting of votes will be held on May 4.
The CEO office said that the final number of nominations filed is subject to change as the process of compilation is ongoing.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF), is seeking a third consecutive term in the state.
The main opposition party, the Congress, is leading a six-party alliance comprising Raijor Dal, CPI(M), Assam Jaitya Parishad, CPI(ML) Liberation, and All Party Hill Leaders Conference.
Other parties, including the Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), have also fielded their candidates.
Among the ministers in the current government who filed their papers on the last day are AGP president Atul Bora for his Bokakhat constituency. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had submitted his nomination for the Jalukbari seat on Friday.
Another AGP member in the state cabinet, Keshab Mahanta, also filed his nomination seeking re-election from Kaliabor.
BJP ministers Chandra Mohan Patowary, Ranoj Pegu, Bimal Borah, and Jayanta Malla Baruah filed their papers for Tihu, Dhemaji, Tingkhong, and Nalbari, respectively.
The Jorhat constituency witnessed both the main contenders – state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and incumbent five-term MLA Hitendra Nath Goswami – filing their nominations on the same day.
Gogoi, who is the Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha representing Jorhat, is making his debut in state electoral politics.
Other BJP candidates who filed their nominations included former MP Pallab Lochan Das (Biswanath), incumbent MLAs Rupjyoti Kurmi (Mariani), and Mrinal Saikia (Khumtai).
Former Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah, who had recently joined the BJP, also filed his papers for Bihpuria.
The ruling alliance candidates for four of the assembly constituencies in Kamrup Metropolitan district, which falls under the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat, are BJP's Vijay Gupta (Guwahati Central), Diplu Ranjan Sharma (New Guwahati), Pradyut Bordoloi (Dispur), and AGP’s Tapan Das (Dimoria), who also filed their papers.
AGP MLA Pradip Hazarika filed his nomination for Sibsagar, with his ally BJP’s Kushal Dowari also entering the fray at the last minute. Both will be contesting a “friendly contest”, while Raijor Dal chief and sitting MLA Akhil Gogoi has already filed his papers for the seat.
Several BPF candidates also filed their papers on the last day, including party president's wife Sewli Mohilary, who is entering the fray for the first time.
Among Congress candidates who filed their nominations on the last day are its three state working presidents – MLAs Pradip Sarkar (Abhayapuri) and Jakir Hussain Sikdar (Pakabetbari), and ex-MLA Roselina Tirkey (Khumati).
Within hours of joining the Congress on Sunday night, Nandita Garlosa, who was a cabinet minister in the current government, filed her nomination from Haflong on Monday.
The party's candidates for Guwahati constituencies – Mira Borthakur (Dispur), Santanu Borah (New Guwahati), and Bidisha Neog (Jalukbari) – also filed their nominations.
AJP nominees who filed their papers include Kunki Choudhury for Guwahati Central and Jagdish Bhuyan for Sadiya.
AIUDF chief and former MP Badruddin Ajmal also filed his nomination, seeking to return to the assembly, from Binnakandi constituency.
Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed filed his nomination as Trinamool Congress candidate from Mandia, while another party legislator Bhaskar Baruah entered the fray as an Independent from his current Titabor seat after being denied the Congress ticket.
Disgruntled leaders from different parties also filed their papers as Independents, including Jayanta Das for Dispur and Pallabi Saikia from Tezpur, quitting the BJP and Congress, respectively.
This will be the first assembly election after the delimitation of constituencies in 2023.
In the outgoing assembly, the ruling BJP has 64 seats, while its allies AGP has nine, UPPL has seven, and BPF has three.
In the opposition camp, the Congress has 26 MLAs, AIUDF has 15, and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is also an Independent legislator.