Will the BJP be able to retain the Sadiya and Margherita Assembly seats under the Tinsukia district in the ensuing Assam Assembly election 2021?
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a stronghold in both Sadiya and Margherita Assembly constituencies but this time it will not be easy for the saffron party to retain the seats.
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Now, the question is whether the vital issues Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), price rise of petrol, diesel, LPG cylinder and failure to provide jobs for unemployed youths as promised would become factors to stop the BJP retain both the seats.
Assam Assembly election 2021 will be held in three phases – March 27, April 1 and April 6.
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Sadiya and Margherita Assembly constituencies will go to polls in the first phase, on March 27, 2021.
While Sadiya’s BJP MLA Bolin Chetia is contesting from the constituency for the fourth time, BJP’s sitting MLA Bhaskar Sharma is contesting from the Margherita seat again.
Bolin Chetia has represented Sadiya Assembly constituency for three terms since 2006.
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He won the Sadiya seat in 2006 and 2011 Assam Assembly elections on Congress ticket while won the seat in 2016 on BJP ticket.
A triangular fight is expected in Sadiya Assembly seat with Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) candidate Jagadish Bhuyan and Congress’ Lakhin Chandra Chetia are contesting for the seat.
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Bhuyan, a former Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) minister, lost to Bolin Chetia by a margin of 2,794 and 6,867 votes in 2006 and 2011 Assembly elections respectively.
In 2001 Assam Assembly election, Chetia lost to Bhuyan by a margin of 196 votes.
Bhuyan is the convenor of the newly-formed regional party AJP.
The AJP, led by former All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) general secretary Lurin Jyoti Gogoi, is contesting the ensuing Assam Assembly election 2021, with its alliance partner, activist Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal.
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Bhuyan is likely to give a straight fight to Chetia.
Lakhin Chandra Chetia, the Congress candidate, is also a popular face in Sadiya.
Margherita Assembly constituency is also going to witness a triangular contest among Congress, BJP and AJP.
The BJP has fielded incumbent MLA Bhaskar Sharma while Congress has fielded Manoranjan Borgohain for the Margherita seat.
AJP has fielded Sanjay Kumar Deb for the Margherita seat.
There are a total number of 1,63,088 registered voters in Margherita constituency, of which 84,238 are men and 78,850 are women.
The voter turnout in the 2016 Assam Assembly election was 83.87% while the voter turnout was 69.60% in 2011 Assembly election.
“Both the constituencies are important for the BJP. The party is working hard to retain the seats. Both Bolin Cheita and Bhaskar Sharma are strong candidates of the BJP. But this time it will not be easy for them to win their respective seat,” said political analyst Rupak Bhattacharjee.
“There is an undercurrent of anti-CAA. But how far this would affect the BJP is not known till now,” Bhattacharjee added.
While AJP and Congress are strongly opposing implementation of the CAA, the BJP has announced to implement the law in Assam if it is voted to power.
Along with other parts of the country Assam witnessed strong protests against the law and 5 perons lost their lives during the agitation.