Former CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta's absence felt in Barhampur constituency

A Correspondent

NAGAON: After a gap of 30 long years, central Assam's Barhampur constituency will not have the name of its most prominent candidate in the EVM this time.

Former Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) chief and two-time Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is not among the six candidates contesting in the assembly election from the constituency this year. For his close loyalists, the entire situation is unfortunate and they admitted that his health condition is the reason behind that. Again for a section, Mahanta's absence is significant as voters will have to make a different choice this time. "People are seeking a change in this constituency and finally this will happen," said Pradip Das, resident of Putoni.

Interestingly, Mahanta, who is in Guwahati, has not gone to his home district for the last one month. "We expect him to come and guide us. He was the person who created a regional platform here. Now voters have to cross the bridge between regionalism and nationalism," said another person, Srimanta Borua.

The constituency has six candidates this time but the contest will be mainly between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jitu Goswami and Congress candidate Suresh Bora. The constituency has more than 1,77,000 voters.

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