AT Photo
Guwahati, Apr 12: The nomination process for four Lok Sabha constituencies, including Guwahati, in Assam going to polls in the third phase began on Friday, the Election Commission said.
The process started with the issuance of the notification for the third phase across the country.
Voting in Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar (ST) constituencies will take place in the third phase on May 7.
As per the notification, the last date for filing nominations is April 19, while the scrutiny of the same will be done the next day.
The last day for withdrawal of candidature has been fixed for April 22.
The counting of votes will take place on June 4, along with the rest of the country.
In the high-profile Guwahati constituency, the BJP's new face, Bijuli Kalita Medhi, who is a vice president of the Assam BJP and the former president of the party’s women wing in the state, is likely to have a direct contest with Congress first-timer Mira Barthakur Goswami, the president of the Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress.
On the ruling front, the AGP has nominated senior leader, former minister, and sitting Bongaigaon MLA Phani Bhusan Choudhury to contest from Barpeta. Congress nominated its state Seva Dal chief Deep Bayan from Barpeta, while CPI (M) has named its lone MLA in the state assembly, Manoranjan Talukdar, for the seat.
The Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Assam and a former minister in Tarun Gogoi’s cabinet, Rakibul Hussain, will contest the Lok Sabha election for the first time from Dhubri, a bastion of the AIUDF.
Hussain is likely to face a triangular contest with AIUDF chief and incumbent MP Badruddin Ajmal and the ruling alliance AGP’s Zabed Islam, a former Assam MLA.
BJP-led alliance partner, United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), nominated its MLA Joyanta Basumatary for contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Kokrajhar (ST) constituency.
The opposition Congress named Garjan Mushahary as a candidate for the seat, while Kampa Borgoyary from the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) will also contest from Kokrajhar.
The BJP has nine MPs in the current Lok Sabha from the state, while its allies AGP and UPPL have no representation. The Congress holds three seats and the AIUDF has one, while another is an independent candidate.
