Assam bypolls: AIUDF to announce candidate for Samaguri seat

Guwahati, Oct 22 (IANS) The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is set to announce its candidate’s name for the upcoming bypolls in the Samaguri Assembly seat, a senior leader said on Tuesday.

He said, “Discussion is on regarding some of the potential candidates for the Samaguri seat. The party has decided to field a strong candidate here. We have high chances of winning this seat this time, ousting the Congress from Samaguri.”

The Opposition party will contest polls only in one seat in the upcoming bypoll.

Badruddin Ajmal, chief of AIUDF said, “We have decided to fight polls in the Samaguri Assembly constituency. Our party will not contest the rest of the four seats which are heading for bye-elections.”

However, earlier Ajmal had announced that his party would contest three Assembly seats in the upcoming bypolls.

“We are planning to put our candidates in Dholai, Samaguri and Bongaigaon,” he had said.

Ajmal lost to the Congress’ Rakibul Hussain by a margin of more than 10 lakh votes in this year’s Lok Sabha polls in Dhubri — a seat he was representing in the Lower House of Parliament since 2009.

Meanwhile, Hussain could not be defeated in Samaguri after he won it in the 2001 Assembly elections.

The bypoll became necessary on this seat after he won this year’s Lok Sabha elections and became an MP.

Hussain’s son Tanjil Hussain was fielded by the Congress party in Samaguri. On the other hand, the BJP has been eyeing to oust the Congress from Samaguri this time.

The ruling party has thrown its top leaders into the campaign for the bye-elections and announced candidates for three seats — Dholai, Samaguri and Behali.

Diplu Ranjan Sarma has been given a ticket in Samaguri while Diganta Ghatowar and Nihar Ranjan Das will fight for the BJP in Behali and Dholai Assembly segments respectively.

Bye-elections in five Assembly constituencies —Dholai, Samaguri, Behali, Bongaigaon, and Sidli became necessary following the election of five legislators in the Lower House of Parliament in this year’s Lok Sabha polls.