Lok Sabha election 2019: BJP is fighting to keep 4 out of 5 seats in first phase

The BJP, which also rules the northeastern state, and Congress are also two of the key players in Assam. The Narendra Modi-led party formed a government in Assam in 2016 as it pushed the Congress out of its stronghold.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is looking to keep in its kitty the four out of five Lok Sabha seats in Assam that are polling on Thursday in the first phase of Lok Sabha election 2019.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is looking to keep in its kitty the four out of five Lok Sabha seats in Assam.(REUTERS)

The BJP, which also rules the northeastern state, and Congress are also two of the key players in Assam. The Narendra Modi-led party formed a government in Assam in 2016 as it pushed the Congress out of its stronghold. Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) are the other prominent parties in the state.

The AGP and BPF have come together with the ruling BJP to fight the Lok Sabha election 2019, while Congress and AIUDF continue to challenge them. The BJP, AGP and BPF are challenging the Congress and AIUDF for the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state that are up for grabs.

The five Lok Sabha seats of Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaliabor, Lakhimpur and Tezpur are polling on Thursday, when the fate of 41 candidates in the fray will be decided. There are 76,03,458 electors, including 38,65,334 male, 37,37,970 female and 154 of the third gender, who will exercise their franchise in 9,574 polling stations in these constituencies.

The current members of Parliament are the BJP’s Rameswar Teli in Dibrugarh, BJP’s Kamakhya Prasad Tasa in Jorhat, BJP’s Prada Baruah in Lakhimpur, BJP’s Ram Prasad Sharma in Tezpur and Congress’ Gaurav Gogoi in Kaliabor.

In Dibrugarh constituency, eight candidates are in the fray but the contest is between sitting BJP MP Rameshwar Teli and veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar.

In neighbouring Jorhat constituency, eight candidates are contesting and the battle is between state power minister Topon Kumar Gogoi of the BJP and former Congress MLA Sushanta Borgohain.

There are only two women candidates - Ribulya Gogoi of the Trinamool Congress and an Independent Nandita Gogoi - and both of them are contesting from Jorhat seat.

Lakhimpur has the highest number of 11 candidates in the fray with the main contest between sitting BJP MP Pradhan Barua and Congress candidate Anil Borgohain.

In Kaliabor, sitting Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi is pitted against AGP’s Moni Madhab Mahanta while in Tezpur constituency state labour and employment (independent charge) minister Pallab Lochan Das of the AGP is fighting it out against retired bureaucrat MGVK Bhanu of the Congress.

The votes will be counted on May 23 in Odisha along with all the other Lok Sabha seats across the country.