Congress workers in Lakhimpur aggrieved at Bharat Narah, Ranee Narah’s attitude

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: At a time when there are only 72 hours for the first phase poll of the ensuing general election to be held on April 11, the contesting political parties and the candidates in fray in Lakhimpur HPC have intensified campaign to draw the support of the voters.

Sitting MP-cum-BJP nominated and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Sanmilita Gana Shakti (SGS) and Bodo People’s Front (BPF) supported candidate Pradan Baruah has undertaken marathon campaign programmes across the constituency accompanied by AGP MLA of Lakhimpur LAC, Utpal Dutta and the district leaders of the alliance parties. The SGS leaders have vowed to create a wave among the voters of the Mising community in favour of Pradan Baruah.

Similarly, BPF supremo Hagrama Mohilary and MLA Utpal Dutta and district leaders of AGP urged the party supporters to ensure the victory of the BJP candidate for the sake of development. Despite such endeavours, the incumbent will loss the support of a section of voters as some organizations have maintained an anti-incumbency stand regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Like the BJP and its alliance parties, the Indian National Congress has also accelerated campaigns in the constituency in support of its candidate Anil Borgohain. After the election rally address of All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi on April 3 in Lakhimpur district headquarter, the district leaders and the activists of the party are enthusiastically taking part in campaign programmes to make their candidate a winner.

The party has taken the CAB and non-implementation of some poll promises by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its main issues to denounce the ruling party in order to attract the voters. Significantly, influential Congress leaders Bharat Narah and former Lok Sabha MP Ranee Narah, who is the Rajya Sabha MP at present, have abstained from taking part in election campaigns in support of Anil Borgohain, resulting in vehement grievances among the Congress workers against both the high profile Congress leaders. These aggrieved Congress workers alleged that the two Congress leaders from the Mising community have not taken up any steps to lead the voters of the native community in support of Congress as a reply to the SGS leaders.

Similarly, former Lakhimpur MLA of the Congress, Ghana Borgohain has also allegedly maintained a distance from the poll scenario and abstained from campaigning in support of the party candidate. Under such circumstances, the non-cooperative attitude of such Congress leaders is standing as a factor in the party’s poll strategies as per the allegation of some aggrieved workers.

Ranee Narah won the Lakhimpur HPC in the general election held in 1998, 1999 and 2009. In the general election held in 2014, the Lakhimpur HPC went to the BJP for the first time as the party candidate Sarbananda Sonowal won the election bagging 6,12,543 votes against Ranee Narah who became the runners-up securing 3,20,405 votes.

On the other hand, Arup Kalita of CPI and Amiya Kumar Hundique of CPI (M) have also left no stone unturned to attain the voters’ attraction, urging them to defeat BJP and other candidates. Both the candidates and their parties organized public meetings across Lakhimpur HPC. In the campaign programmes, they criticized the BJP and Congress for their alleged failure to ensure comprehensive development and welfare of the down-trodden section of society.

CPI candidate Arup Kalita has taken up big river dam construction as the prominent issue. Similarly, Bhupen Narah of Voters Party International, Dilip Moran of Asom Dristi Party, Ubaidur Rahman of Asom Jana Marcha, Hem Kanta Miri of SUCI, independent candidates Prabhu Lal Vaishnava and Ambaz Uddin have also pulled up their socks to put up a tough fight in this election.

Also read: Assam news