Rajya Sabha poll picks up pace in Assam

Daimary submits papers; BJP names Kalita; Congress, AIUDF back Bhuyan

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Rajya Sabha poll in Assam picked up the pace on Wednesday. While Biswajit Daimary submitted his nomination papers as the BPF candidate, both the BJP and the Congress-AIUDF combine named their respective candidates. The last date for filing of nomination papers is March 13.

Poll for the three seats from the State in the Upper House is on March 26.

Earlier in the day, the BJP named Bhubaneswar Kalita as its candidate; the Congress-AIUDF combine named senior journalist Ajit Kumar Bhuyan as their common candidate. On the other hand, the BJP fielding its candidate for the third party cannot be ruled out at this stage.

Daimary submitted his nomination papers in the presence of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BTC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Hagrama Mohilary, AGP president Atul Bora and others.

After filing his nominations, Daimary said, “Our alliance has adequate member. My win is certain.”

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also said, “The win of candidates of the ruling coalition is certain.”

When asked by the media if the BJP will field a candidate for the third seat as well, Sonowal only said, “We’ll make our strategy known at the right moment.”

Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We’ve a gentlemen’s agreement with the AGP and the BPF prior to the 2016 Assembly election. In accordance with that agreement, we gave one Rajya Sabha seat to the AGP, and we’re giving one to the BPF now.”

When asked on the third seat of the Rajya Sabha, Sarma said, “There’s an ambience for the ruling coalition’s win for the third seat as well. If the Congress fields a controversial face, we’ll have to take a decision.”

When the media reminded him of the Congress-AIUDF combine fielding journalist Ajit Kumar Bhuyan for the third seat, Sarma said, “What else can be more unfortunate for the Assamese nationality than a person of Ajit Kumar Bhuyan’s stature sharing platform with Badruddin Ajmal?”

IANS adds: “We have decided to back Bhuyan as he is a neutral candidate,” said APCC president Ripun Bora.

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