Barpeta Lok Sabha seat: Ruling coalition enjoys the edge

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Riding on the changes brought about by the delimitation exercise, the BJP-led ruling coalition in the state has been making all-out efforts to win the prestigious Lok Sabha seat of the Xatra Nagari, Barpeta. This constituency will go to the polls on May 7 in the third phase.

Since 1952, the Barpeta parliamentary seat had been under the Congress for nine terms, two terms under the CPI (M), and one term under the AIUDF.

While the BJP-led alliance has fielded the AGP’s Phani Bhushan Choudhury, the Congress has fielded Deep Bayan, and the CPI (M) has fielded Manoranjan Talukdar. Interestingly, the AIUDF has not fielded a candidate in this constituency.

Phani Bhushan Choudhury has been a consecutive MLA on an AGP ticket from Bongaigaon since the launch of the regional party in 1985. Manoranjan Talukdar is the sitting Sorbhog MLA. The Congress, on the other hand, has given its ticket to Deep Bayan, depriving sitting MP Abdul Khaleque. Despite its good grip in the constituency, the AIUDF has not fielded its candidate in Barpeta. The showdown seems to be a straight one between Phanibhusan Choudhury of the AGP and Manoranjan Talukdar of the CPI (M).

The Congress won this seat in 2019 with the support of minorities. However, the delimitation exercise has rendered the minority community no longer a deciding factor in this constituency. However, the way in which the support base of the AIUDF will tilt has much to do with this constituency. 

Deep Bayon is the local leader of Barpeta. He, however, has to spend much force in his fight against independent-turned former Congress leader, Dulu Ahmed.

Riding over his clean image, coupled with his long experience, Phani Bhushan Choudhury has many takers in this constituency. The only qualification that goes against him is that he is from Bongaigaon, not Barpeta. The Prime Minister’s address at an election rally in support of Choudhury has given a decisive boost to his chances of winning.

The campaign for the Congress candidate has yet to pick up the desired pace in the constituency. Apart from this, the minority voters turning to the BJP in most of the districts in the state this year can also be a threat to the Congress.

The CPI (M) has some pet pockets, including Sorbhog, Sarukhetri, etc., where some supporters have come out with issues like price rises, unemployment, etc. However, as usual, the campaign of the party is bereft of the hustle and bustle of neck-and-neck contests in polls.

The Barpeta Parliamentary seat has ten legislative assembly segments: Bongaigaon, Abhayapuri North, Abhayapuri South, Patacharkuchi, Barpeta, Jania, Bagbhor, Sarukhetri, Chenga, and Dharampur. This LS constituency has 14 candidates.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, AIUDF’s Siraj Uddin Ajmal won the seat with 27.6 percent of the votes. His nearest contender Chandra Mohan Patowary of the BJP got 24.6 percent votes, the Congress candidate got 19.4 percent, the AGP candidate got 5.2 percent, and the CPI(M) candidate got 1.9 percent votes.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, Abdul Khaleque of the Congress won this seat with 44.2 percent of the votes, the AGP candidate got 34.6 percent, and the AIUDF candidate got 17 percent of the votes.

 Also Read: Lok Sabha election: Battleground primed, 47 candidates in the poll fray (sentinelassam.com)

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