Reported by Avik Chakraborty
Dibrugarh: Sitting MLA Prasanta Phukan on Monday won the Dibrugarh Assembly constituency in the Assam election for a fifth consecutive term, defeating Assam Jatiya Parishad’s (AJP) Mainak Patra by a margin of over 72,043 votes.
This victory comes nearly two decades after he first won the seat by a margin of 175 votes.
The state Power Minister’s latest win continues his electoral record in Dibrugarh. When Phukan first won from the constituency in 2006, he defeated sitting Congress MLA Kalyan Kumar Gogoi by 175 votes, 28,424 against 28,249.
Since then, Phukan’s winning margins have increased. He won by 19,609 votes in 2011, 27,374 in 2016, and 38,005 in 2021. Monday’s result is his largest margin so far.
“This victory belongs to the people of Dibrugarh. Their trust and support have kept me going for two decades, and I am deeply humbled by this mandate,” Phukan said after the results were declared.
When Phukan first contested, the BJP had a limited presence in Upper Assam. In 1985, the party’s candidate from this seat secured 260 votes.
While opponents like Mainak Patra raised local issues such as waterlogging and the maintenance of the Dibrugarh Town Protection (DTP) drain, Phukan secured a clear win.
With this result, he continues to represent the Dibrugarh constituency.