Assam MLAs’ LS victory leads to bypolls in 5 seats within 6 months

GUWAHATI: Assam finds itself at the crossroads of democracy once again, preparing for a round of by-elections in as many as five assembly constituencies within the next six months.

Among these five seats, two have been left vacant by BJP MLAs. Former minister Parimal Suklabaidya, a veteran BJP legislator who had been representing the Dholai assembly seat continuously since 1991, contested from the Silchar Lok Sabha constituency and secured a comfortable victory. Another senior BJP leader and MLA, Ranjit Dutta, who represented the Behali assembly segment, won from Sonitpur Lok Sabha constituency.

BJP’s allies, AGP and UPPL, also fielded their MLAs in the polls. While Phani Bhusan Choudhury, an eight-time MLA from Bongaigaon, contested on AGP’s ticket in Barpeta, UPPL’s Jayanta Basumatary, a legislator from Sidli, also participated. Both emerged victorious, leading to bypolls in their Assembly seats. Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain defeated Badruddin Ajmal in Dhubri with a significant margin and has announced his decision to leave the Samaguri assembly seat.

This electoral exercise has been necessitated by the upward political trajectory of sitting MLAs, who have emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha elections.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that the panchayat polls will be held in November, and it is speculated that these five bypolls may coincide with them.

As per the Constitution, they cannot hold two elected positions simultaneously, thus necessitating their resignation from the state assembly and paving the way for fresh elections in these five assembly constituencies.