E-Paper
Lok Sabha election 2019: BJP hopes to retain Assam’s Lakhimpur seat
The BJP which won the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat in 2014, retained it in the bye-elction in 2016.
Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency in Assam will vote in the 2019 election on April 11 along with four other constituencies out of 14 in the state.
The constituency covers nine assembly segments - Majuli (ST), Naoboicha, Lakhimpur, Dhakukhana (ST), Dhemaji (ST), Jonai (ST), Chauba, Doom Dooma and Sadiya and is spread across Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Tinsukia districts.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Sarbananda Sonowal of the BJP won handsomely defeating Congress’ Ranee Narah by 2,92,138 votes.
The BJP retained the constituency in the bye-election in 2016 after Sonowal vacated the seat to take over as chief minister. Pradan Baruah defeated Hema Hari Prasanna Pegu of the Congress by almost two lakh votes to retain the seat for the BJP and the saffron party would be hoping to win it for the third time in a row.
According to the 2011 census, out of total population of 2422695, 92.88% is rural and 7.12% is urban population. The Scheduled castes (SC) and Scheduled tribes (ST) ratio is 6.57 and 27.5, respectively out of total population.
The population is multi-cultural and multi-ethnic in nature. They include indigenous Assamese ethnic groups like Tai-Ahom, Chutiya, Koch, Mising, Deori, Tiwa (Lalung), Bodos and Khamti. Tea tribes community also called Adivasi forms nearly one-tenth of Lakhimpur district’s population. Other communities include Bengali speaking Hindus and Muslims. Nepalese are also a small part of the population.
Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency in numbers:
Name of the Lok Sabha constituency: Lakhimpur
State: Assam
Date of voting: April 11
2019 candidates: Pradan Baruah (BJP), Anil Borgohain (Congress)
Sitting MP, Party: Pradan Baruah, BJP
Winning margin in 2016: 190,219 votes
Runner up name, party: Hema Hari Prasanna Pegu, Congress
Voting percentage: 66.44%
