GUWAHATI: As many as 267 candidates are expected to contest in the first phase of the upcoming Assam Assembly Election slated on March 27.
According to sources out of a total of 297 candidates who have filed their nomination papers for the ensuing elections, 18 candidates have withdrawn their candidature while the nominations of around 10 candidates have been rejected.
Among the key faces who will be contesting the polls in the first phase includes- Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal who will be contesting the Assembly elections for a second term from the Majuli seat. He had won from this seat in the 2016 Assembly elections.
Some of the other key contestants of Phase I include Minister in the BJP-led Assam government – Keshab Mahanta (contesting from Kaliabor), Naba Kumar Doley (contesting from Dhakuakhana), Ranjit Dutta (contesting from Behali), Jugen Mohan (contesting from Mahmara) and Sanjay Kishen (contesting from Tinsukia).
There would be over 60 first time contestants who would be testing their luck in Phase I of the Assam Elections, significant among them are- Prithiraj Rava, son of Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, the doyen of Assamese culture and literature contesting in AGP ticket and Pranjal Ghatowar, son of veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar, contesting in a Congress ticket from the Moran constituency.
The newly formed regional parties born out of the anti CAA movement will also be in the fray. Jailed KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi will be contesting from the Sibsagar seat in Phase I. He is the president of recently launched Raijor Dal. Student leader and former AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi too would be contesting in the first phase from Naharkatia and Duliajan constituencies. He is the president of the regional political party, Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP).
Meanwhile, a total of 408 candidates have filed nominations for Phase 2 of Assam Assembly Elections 2021 which will be held on April 1.