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Assam, Bengal elections: CM Sarbananada Sonowal, activist Akhil Gogoi, actor June Malia in fray
Akhil Gogoi is contesting as an Independent from Sivasagar in Assam. CPM's youth leader Madhuja Sen Roy is contesting from Jhargram in West Bengal.
The first phase of voting which began at 7am on Saturday will decide the fate of many key players, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Speaker Hitendranath Goswami, Congress chief Ripun Borah and several other ministers in Assam, while in West Bengal, there is a former minister, a Bengali actor and a former student leader in the fray among the key candidates.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is contesting from his Majuli (ST) seat which he won in 2016 with 49,602 votes. This time, he is contesting against three-time former Congress MLA and former minister Rajib Lochan Pegu.
Follow live updates of phase 1 Assembly elections of Assam and West Bengal
Speaker of the outgoing assembly Hitendranath Goswami is locked in a poll battle with former Congress MLA Rana Goswami in Jorhat. Former chief minister Tarun Gogoi's seat Titabor will see a direct contest between Bhaskar Jyoti Barua of the Congress and BJP's Hemanta Kalita.
Other ministers in the fray in this phase include Ranjit Dutta (Behali), Naba Kumar Doley (Dhakuakha), Jogen Mohan (Mahmora), Terash Gowala (Duliajan) and Sanjoy Kishan (Tinsukia). AGP ministers Atul Bora and Keshab Mahanta are contesting from Bokakhat and Kaliabor.
Activist and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi is contesting as an Independent from Sivasagar. AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi is contesting from Duliajan and Naharkatiya
In West Bengal, Salboni is one of the notable seats where the CPM has fielded former minister Susanta Ghosh who was in jail in the skeleton recovery case. He was the MLA of Garbeta from 1987 to 2016.
Popular Bengali actress June Malia has been fielded on a TMC ticket from Medinipur against BJP's Samit Kumar Dash and Left alliance's Tarun Kumar Ghosh. Santhali actor Birbaha Hansda is fighting from Jhargram on a TMC ticket against BJP's Sukhamay Satpathy and CPI(M)'s youth leader Madhuja Sen Roy.
(With agency inputs)
