Lok Sabha poll: Campaign for first phase concludes in Lakhimpur

LAKHIMPUR: The campaigning for the first phase of polls to five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam scheduled on April 19 concluded on Wednesday. The battle in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in this phase will decide the fate of 35 candidates including two Rajya Sabha MPs, three Lok Sabha MPs and an MLA. The five constituencies of the State are going to the polls in the first phase are Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaziranga and Sonitpur. The prominent candidates in the fray in this phase of the election are Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is contesting from Dibrugarh, Lok Sabha’s deputy leader of the opposition Gaurav Gogoi, who has been fielded by the Congress from Jorhat and incumbent Lakhimpur HPC MP Pradan Baruah who is contesting from the same HPC as BJP-Alliance candidate for the third time. In Lakhimpur HPC with nine contestants, sitting BJP MP Pradan Baruah is locked in a direct contest with Uday Shankar Hazarika of Congress.

On the final day of the campaign for the first phase poll, the candidates and the political parties in fray in the Lakhimpur HPC were seen giving momentum to their campaign programmes on Wednesday. On this day, Congress candidate Uday Shankar Hazarika, who is supported by United Opposition Forum, Assam (UOFA) conducted campaign in different parts of the Lakhimpur district. On Tuesday, he campaigned at Dezoo Tea Estate area, Kimin, Rampur-Bogibeel, Pahumora, Baliding, Shingara, Silonibari, Dolahat Phulbari, Nowboicha Chariali, Pub Nowboicha, Madhya Nowboicha under Ranganadi and Nowboicha LACs of Lakhimpur district. On the other hand, BJP candidate Pradan Baruah held mega roadshow at Lalpani-Boginadi, Chapori Gaon under Lakhimpur LAC of Lakhimpur district. Silapothar under Sissiborgaon LAC and Dhemaji town under Dhemaji town of Dhemaji district. Similarly, other contestants in Lakhimpur HPC, viz- Ghana Kanta Chutia of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dhiren Kachari from Communist Party of India (CPI), Pallab Pegu from Socialist Unity Centre of India-Communist (SUCI-C), Biren Bailung from Voters Party International (VPI) and independent candidates Gobin Biswakarma, Deba Nath Pait and Bikram Ramchiary also conducted marathon campaign in different parts of the constituency on the final day of the poll campaign. It should be noted here that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, a few days back, campaigned for the BJP in Lakhimpur HPC while he held a roadshow in Tinsukia under Dibrugarh HPC.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, as star campaigner, also led the BJP campaign in Lakhimpur HPC. In this regard, other contestants depended on State leaders and civil society for campaign with the candidates have gone all out to woo the electors. During the course campaign, the issues highlighted by the ruling party were mostly confined to claims of all-round development, particularly in the Northeast, peace in the region, employment opportunities, facilities for women, students, tea garden workers along with others. On the other hand, other contestants primarily focussed on the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) against the sentiment of the people of the state, government’s unfulfilled promises of development which have allegedly not reached to all beneficiaries, sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities, alleged privatization of education sector, ruling party’s soft corner to the corporates etc.

In the first phase, a total of 86,68,239 electorate including 43,93,512 women voters will exercise their franchise in 10,001 polling booths under five HPCs.

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