SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: The long wait and tension are over for political parties, their candidates and voters of the 15 Assembly constituencies of Barak Valley. 24,94,926 voters who exercised their democratic right finally decided the fate of 168 candidates of BJP, AGP, Congress, AIUDF, CPM and Independents in the fray. As the results were being rolled out one after other rounds of counting from the media cell of Information and Publicity departments of Silchar, Hailakandi and Karimganj, it was virtually a sea-saw battle between BJP-AGP Alliance and Congress-led Mahajoot in 6 constituencies of Cachar and 3 of the 5 constituencies of Karimganj, but in Hailakandi, it was a steady but straight batting by AIUDF in the 3 constituencies.
The counting of votes took place at NATRIP, Silchar, Government M V H S centre, Hailakandi, and Karimganj College, Kaimganj, maintaining Covid Protocol as mandated by the Election Commission of India amidst foolproof security arrangements. BJP ultimately has to contend with 6 seats only much against the expected projection of 10 seats to add to the score of a comfortable majority to be at the citadel of power at Dispur. This is no doubt a day of great disappointment for the saffron leaders of the valley. The final tally shows the winners and losers of all 15 seats.
Deepayan Paul of BJP won from Silchar, defeating his nearest rival of Congress, Tamal Banik, Parimal Suklabaidya of BJP, Minister, trounced Kamakhya Prasad Mala of INC on Dholai seat. Koushik Rai, BJP President, scored over Mukesh Pandey to secure the seat of Lakhipur for the saffron party for the first time in the electoral history of the valley. Gautom Roy of BJP after neck to neck fight with Khalil Uddin Mazumder of INC went down, Aminul Haque Laskar, Deputy Speaker, of BJP trailed behind to taste defeat in the hands of Karim Uddin Barbhuiya of AIUDF on Sonai seat, Misbahul Islam Laskar of INC, former minister, humbled BJP nominee Amalendu Das on Bokhola seat, and Mihir Kanti Shome (BJP) tumbled down Ajit Singh (INC), a former minister.
Kamalaksha Dey Purkayastha of INC defeated Dr Manas Das of BJP on Karimganj (North) seat, Krishendu Paul IBJP) from Patharkandi seat romped home with victory by humbling Sachin Sahu of Congress, from Ratabari, Bijoy Malakar (BJP) trounced Shambhu Singh Mala (INC), Abdul Aziz of Congress defeated Biswarup Bhattacharjee of BJP on Badarpur seat while Siddeque Ahmed of Congress trounced Aziz Ahmed Khan of AGP on South Karimganj assembly seat.
As well predicted, all the three seats of Hailakandi, Algapur and Katlicherra went to the kitty of AIUDF for the second consecutive term. Milon Das of BJP who contested from Hailakandi suffered debacle before the challenge of AIUDF candidate Zakir Hussain Laskar, Moon Swarnakar also of BJP ate a humble pie in the hands of Nizam Uddin Choudhury of AIUDF and Subrata Kumar Nath of saffron brigade contesting on Katlicherra seat embraced defeat by AIUDF nominee Suzam Uddin Laskat. BJP leaders have to go for serious introspection to analyse the factors behind the party debacle in the valley.
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