Tinsukia: In a sharp display of grassroots discontent, BJP candidate Pulak Gohain’s election campaign came to a sudden halt on Wednesday in Chota Tingrai, an Adivasi-dominated village in Assam’s Tinsukia district.
Locals, largely from the tea tribe community, blocked his path and raised slogans of “BJP Go Back” and “Pulak Gohain Kam Nai,” signaling deep unease over the party’s choice of candidate for the 86-Tinsukia Assembly constituency.
When villagers confronted Gohain about why two-time MLA Sanjoy Kishan, a prominent tea tribe leader and former minister, was shifted to the newly carved Makum seat instead of being retained here, the candidate reportedly replied that it was a “party decision.”
The exchange underscored a palpable sense of betrayal among a section of tea tribes, who feel their long-standing representative has been sidelined in favour of a fresh face from the mainstream Assamese community.
Social media has projected Gohain as an “indigenous face,” yet many in the community view his nomination as an act of political neglect.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of Assam’s high-stakes Assembly polls scheduled for April 9. Delimitation has reduced the tea tribe/Adivasi voter share in Tinsukia to roughly 11.6 per cent, while Hindi-speaking voters now hold greater sway.
The community’s longstanding demands for Scheduled Tribe status and higher wages remain unresolved, with recent protests reported across the district.
Tinsukia is set to witness a contest among multiple candidates, including BJP’s Pulak Gohain and Congress’s David Phukan. A total of eight candidates are in the fray.
Kishan, meanwhile, is contesting the adjacent Makum seat against Congress’s Shibanath Chetia and others.
Observers note that recent developments highlight the challenges faced by parties in balancing candidate selection and voter expectations in Upper Assam. Changes in candidate placement may influence voter responses, particularly in constituencies with diverse demographic groups.
How different voter segments respond, including tea tribe communities, may play a role in shaping the outcome in Tinsukia, with results scheduled for May 4.