Teok turns tense as AGP bets on new face, Cong eyes comeback

Dibrugarh: Teok assembly constituency in Jorhat district is set for a keenly watched direct contest between Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Indian National Congress, with no other candidate in the fray. The battle gains added significance as AGP has dropped its four-time sitting MLA, Renupoma Rajkhowa, and fielded a fresh face, while Congress has once again banked on Pallabi Gogoi, who has twice come agonisingly close to victory in this seat.

AGP, an ally of BJP and part of the ruling NDA combine in Assam, has replaced 70-year-old Rajkhowa with 52-year-old Bikash Saikia, marking a generational shift in the party’s approach to the constituency. Rajkhowa, a dominant figure in Teok’s political landscape for three decades, won the seat four times — in 1991, 1996, 2016, and 2021. Her husband, Lalit Chandra Rajkhowa, a prominent leader of the historic Assam Agitation, also won the seat in 1985, making the family virtually synonymous with AGP’s presence in Teok.




Pitted against the relatively untested Saikia is Congress’s Pallabi Gogoi, 47, who hopes the third time proves lucky. Gogoi lost to Rajkhowa by 5,049 votes in 2016, when Rajkhowa polled 40,928 votes against Gogoi’s 26,879. The 2021 election was far closer — Rajkhowa scraped through by a wafer-thin margin of 1,350 votes, securing 47,555 votes to Gogoi’s 46,205. That near-miss has only fuelled Gogoi’s determination this time around.

“I have been fighting for the people of Teok for years. Each election has brought us closer to the truth — that the people here want real change, better roads, clean drinking water, and a representative who listens. I am confident that this time, the people of Teok will choose progress,” Gogoi said, appealing to voters ahead of the April 9 polls.

AGP’s decision to field Saikia signals a fresh bid to reinvigorate support. “Bikash Saikia is an energetic and committed leader who understands the ground realities of Teok. NDA alliance has delivered development across Assam, and Saikia will continue that momentum,” said a senior AGP functionary.

A look at Teok’s electoral history reveals a closely contested constituency over the decades. Of the 11 assembly elections held since 1972, AGP has won five times and Congress four. Janata Party and CPI have each won once — Devananda Bora of Janata Party prevailed in 1978, and Dulal Chandra Khound of CPI won the inaugural election in 1972. Congress candidate Tilok Gogoi won in 1983, while Membar Gogoi delivered three consecutive victories for the party in 2001, 2006, and 2011 before Rajkhowa reclaimed the seat for AGP in 2016.

On the ground, voters say issues such as poor road quality and the absence of adequate drinking water facilities in several areas remain unaddressed despite repeated electoral promises. “We have been asking for proper roads and clean water for years. Whoever wins must make these priorities, not just poll promises,” said Ranjan Bora, a resident of the constituency.

With the razor-thin margin from 2021 still fresh in public memory, the Teok contest is shaping up to be one of the most compelling battles of this election season in upper Assam.