Guwahati, November 24 (IANS). Assam Congress President Bhupen Bora’s reaction has come after the poor performance in the by-elections. Describing the election result as unexpected, he said that the post-mortem of the result will be done very soon.
He also said that efforts will be made by the opposition party to unite all anti-BJP forces before the next assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters, Bora said that we will analyze the results very soon and then I can put forward the reasons for our defeat in the by-elections. But I will continue to unite all anti-BJP forces to take on the ruling party.
Dhubri Congress MP Rakibul Hussain alleged that BJP rigged the by-election on Samguri assembly seat on a large scale.
MP Hussain has been representing Samaguri in the Assembly since 2001, he left this seat after winning the Lok Sabha elections in the same year. Congress gave ticket to his son Tanjeel Hussain to contest the by-election; However, he had to face a heavy defeat from BJP’s Diplu Ranjan Sarma.
Rakibul Hussain said that there was vote rigging at several polling stations under Samguri assembly constituency. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma used the administrative machinery to ensure my son’s defeat in the by-election.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said that I take full responsibility for my party’s defeat in Behali assembly constituency.
The Congress leader had actively campaigned in Behali for more than two months.
By-elections were held on five assembly seats of Assam – Dholai, Behali, Samaguri, Bongaigaon, Sidli because the MLAs of these seats had become vacant after winning the general elections and reaching the Lok Sabha.
Barring Samaguri, the other four constituencies were held by the BJP and its allies – Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL). The BJP has retained two constituencies – Dholai and Behali, with Nihar Ranjan Das and Digant Ghatowal easily winning the by-elections.
The ruling party demolished the Congress stronghold in Samguri with the victory of Diplu Ranjan Sarma. AGP also won the Bongaigaon seat by a margin of 35,164 votes. Diptimayi Chaudhary won here on AGP ticket. Her husband, now Lok Sabha MP from Barpeta – Phanibhushan Choudhary, has been MLA from Bongaigaon seat six times.
UPPL, another ally of BJP, also won the by-election in Sidli assembly constituency by defeating its nearest candidate by a margin of 37,016 votes.
Congress contested elections on five seats, but was not successful in winning even a single seat.
–IANS
PSK/KR
