Rupak Sarma, Pradyut Bordoloi file nominations to Nagaon Returning Officer

A Correspondent

NAGAON: BJP nominated candidate and the sitting MLA of Nagaon Sadar, Rupak Sarma, and Congress candidate Pradyut Bordoloi filed nomination papers on Tuesday to the Returning Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner of Nagaon, Jadav Saikia for the prestigious Nagaon constituency, on the last day for submission of nomination papers for the second phase Lok Sabha election.

After days of speculation, the saffron party on Monday night finally took the decision to give the ticket to MLA Rupak Sarma. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, minister Pijush Hazarika, BJP State president Ranjit Kr Dass, MLAs Shiladitya Dey, Dimbeswar Das, Angoorlata Deka and Ramakanta Deori accompanied Sarma during his submission of the nomination papers. Earlier, Sarma along with thousands of his supporters and party workers, came in a large procession to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Nagaon.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, in an interaction with local media here at Nagaon DC office premises, said that the people of Assam along with the rest of the country had taken the decision to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of the country for the second term too. For swift development and rapid growth of the State along with the country, the Modi government had, within a very short period of time, taken aggressive and explanatory steps and initiatives. Sonowal said that this time BJP and its alliance parties would get maximum seats in the State.

Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, while interacting with the media persons at the same venue, said that the Lok Sabha election 2019 would confirm the future of Assam. The people of the State would stand on one side and Congress and AIUDF would stand on the opposite side in this Lok Sabha election. Referring to the Congress and AIUDF’s strategy, Sarma said, “This election significantly will decide whether Assam will remain for the Assamese or the mainstream Indian or for Badruddin Ajmal.”

On the other hand, Congress candidate Pradyut Bordoloi along with thousands of supporters also came in a large procession to the DC office premise from Nagaon Rajiv Bhavan and filed his nomination papers to the Returning Officer. During submission of his nomination, Bordoloi was accompanied by the party State president Ripun Borah, former ministers Rokibul Hussain, Goutom Bora, Ardhendu Dey, former MLAs Dr Durlav Chamua, Junjunali Borua and other dignitaries of district Congress.

APCC president Ripun Bora addressed a press conference at Nagaon Rajiv Bhavan. He said that AICC Rahul Gandhi took a historic step for the poor people of the country – the minimum income guarantee scheme -and it would cover around 5 crore families of the country. He said that if the Congress was voted to power in the Centre, every poor family under the scheme would get Rs 6,000 per month and annually one beneficiary would get a total of Rs 72,000.

Criticizing the pre-election promises of Narendra Modi in the last Lok Sabha election, Bora said that BJP simply promised but could not fulfill. “But our party more or less fulfilled all the promises made before polls during the tenure of the Congress-led government,” he said.

Referring to the latest sharing and understanding with the AIUDF, Bora reiterated further that AIUDF could not find viable candidates in most of the seats in the State and the people of Assam had given the feedback about AIUDF. Nobody would favour a communal party like AIUDF, he said. “The Congress party is a secular party and will never make any alliance either open or secret with a communal party like AIUDF,” Bora added further.

Interestingly, on the last day of submission of nomination for second phase of LS poll in Nagaon parliamentary constituency, a total of seven candidates, including BJP and Congress candidates like Sarma and Bordoloi, filed nomination papers for the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat. They are Jakir Hussain (Independent), Ajgor Ali (Purbanchal Janata Party secular), Sukanta Mazumdar (Bharatiya Gana Parishad), Sahadeva Das (TMC) and Gulapi Das (Voters Party International). Earlier on Monday, one candidate filed nomination papers for Nagaon seat. This time total eight candidates submitted nominations for Nagaon parliamentary constituency.

Also read: Assam news