Guwahati, March 19 An "exchange" of potential candidates for the Assam Assembly elections has been taking place between the NDA constituents, the BJP and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), with leaders switching parties to secure party nominations.
Two leaders from the BJP and one from the AGP have joined the other party in the run-up to the April 9 assembly election, aiming to increase their chances of being nominated as candidates.
The latest such case involves Bhupen Roy, whom the saffron party has nominated as the candidate for the Abhayapuri constituency, days after he switched from the AGP.
While the BJP will field candidates in 89 seats, the AGP in 26, and the third partner of the coalition, the Bodoland People’s Front, will nominate in 11.
With the allies contesting the polls under a seat-sharing arrangement, it has become known that the BJP will contest in Abhayapuri after the AGP refused to relinquish the bordering Bongaigaon seat.
Bongaigaon is currently represented by Diptimayee Choudhury of the AGP, who was elected in the 2024 by-election after the incumbent MLA and her husband, Phani Bhusan Choudhury, won the Lok Sabha polls from the Barpeta constituency as an NDA candidate.
Phani Bhusan had been undefeated in Bongaigaon since 1983, making him the longest-serving MLA in the state so far.
Roy decided to switch to the other NDA ally in order to ensure that he became the ruling alliance's candidate in the constituency.
Meanwhile, at least two BJP leaders have joined the AGP, hoping to secure the alliance's nomination for the state elections.
Basanta Das of Naoboicha joined the regional outfit on Thursday, while Prakash Das had entered the AGP fold earlier this week, seeking to secure nomination from the Hajo-Sualkuchi seat.
Both these constituencies have been left for the AGP under the seat-sharing arrangement.
The chief executive councillor of Kamatapur Autonomous Council, Jibesh Roy, also joined the AGP on Thursday. He is seen as a potential candidate for the Bilasipara constituency.
A former Congress leader from Binnakandi, Sahabuddin Majumdar, has also entered the AGP fold, hoping to secure nomination from the seat.
The AGP and BPF are yet to announce their candidates for the elections. The BJP has announced its candidates for 88 seats in the first list.
Elections for the 126-member Assembly will be held on April 9, with counting of votes on May 4.