KHUMTAI, April 21 – Eight candidates will contest for the MP seat from 11 Kaliabor HPC. They are Dip Gogoi (INC), Gunin Hazarika (AGP-BJP combine), Sirajuddin Ajmal (AUDF), Kamal Dutta, Paul Nayak, Pradip Dutta, Binod Gogoi and Mridul Dutta (all Independents). In the last parliamentary election held in 2004, Dip Gogoi of Congress defeated his nearest AGP rival Keshab Mahanta by a margin of 67, 196 votes. Dip Gogoi secured 3,01,893 votes, while Mahanta secured 2,34,695 votes. Rashidul Haque, an NDA candidate contesting on JD (U)’s ticket finished third securing 1,25,966 votes. The percentage of votes in favour of Dip Gogoi was 39.56%, Keshab Mahanta 30.76% and Roshidul Haque 16.51%.
The Kaliabor HPC comprises 10 Assembly segments stretching from Lahorighat Development Block in the west to Dhekorgorha Development Block in the east. Dhing LAC, which extends both into Morigaon and Nagaon district, Batadrava, Rupahihat, Samaguri and Koliabor of Nagaon district, Khumtai, Bokakhat, Sarupothar and Golaghat LAC in Golaghat district and Dergaon (ST) which form pent of both Golaghat and Jorhat districts comprise the 11 No. Koliabor HPC.
Out of these, Congress holds only three LACs viz. Batadrava, Samaguri and Golaghat and all the three MLAs. Goutom Bora, Rockeybul Hussain and Ajanta Neog respectively – are ministers in the Gogoi Cabinet. Obviously they have left no stone unturned to ensure a win for the Congress nominees. The AGP on the other hand has five LACs – Rupahihat, Kaliabor, Sarupathar, Khumtai and Dergaon (ST). In Dhing, there is an AUDF MLA and in Bokakhat there is an independent MLA Jiten Gogoi who is now absconding being involved in a criminal ease at KNP.
The presence of AUDF candidate, who happens to be the brother of Badruddin Ajmal, the arch-enemy of Tarun Gogoi, has become a headache for the Congress. The Congress lost this HPC only twice, in 1985 and in 1996, and both time due to strong presence of religious minority candidates. In 1985, UMF’s Majahrool Latif and in 1996 Congress (Tiwari)’s Abdul Mannan Farooqi, who had got 1.20 lakh and 1.35 lakh votes respectively ensured AGP’s return. The same thing may repeat again in 2009.
Another cause of concern for Congress is opposition by ATTSA, which has a considerable base in the tea garden areas. However, both AGP and its ally BJP have very little base among tea garden labourers. Tea garden community can play a vital role in the Assembly segments of Kaliabor, Bokakhat, Khumtai and Sarupathar while religious minority votes are the deciding factor in Dhing, Batadrava, Rupahihat and Samaguri. Dergaon and Sarupathar also have a good number of minority votes.
The Kaliabor HPC was formed in 1967. Since then, the Congress has been representing this constituency barring seven years. It was represented by Bedabrat Barua of Congress from 1967 to 1978, form three terms. From 1978 to 1983, Tarun Gogoi (INC), from 1983 to 1985 Bishnu Prasad (INC), from 1985 to 1991 Bhadreswar Tanti (AGP), from 1991 to 1996 Tarun Gogoi (INC), from 1996 to 1998 Keshab Mahanta (AGP) represented Kaliabor HPC. In the elections of 1998, 1999 and 2001, Tarun Gogoi retained this seat. While he resigned for chief ministership his younger brother Dip Gogoi was nominated by Congress who managed to enter parliament through the by-election of 2002. He was re-elected in 2004 for the second time and has been nominated by the party this time again. As such, Kaliabor is a stronghold of the Congress. But the recent rift among traditional vote bank my alter this scene.
‘Tea tribes cheated’: “The political parties are cheating tea garden community in Assam and using them as more vote banks only. They do nothing concrete for them except for empty promises,” said Arun Dusad, president and Prakash Burhoi, secretary, Badulipar sub-branch ATTSA, in a press release here recently. “The ruling Congress never pays heed to the vital problems of the tea garden labourers. ATTSA has been drawing attention to the State and Central government time and time again for the root causes of miseries of the tea tribes viz problem of education, sanitation, daily wages, scholarship for tea garden students and above all ST status to the tea tribes of Assam. But all have fallen on deaf ears,” they added. ASSAM TRIBUNE
The Kaliabor HPC comprises 10 Assembly segments stretching from Lahorighat Development Block in the west to Dhekorgorha Development Block in the east. Dhing LAC, which extends both into Morigaon and Nagaon district, Batadrava, Rupahihat, Samaguri and Koliabor of Nagaon district, Khumtai, Bokakhat, Sarupothar and Golaghat LAC in Golaghat district and Dergaon (ST) which form pent of both Golaghat and Jorhat districts comprise the 11 No. Koliabor HPC.
Out of these, Congress holds only three LACs viz. Batadrava, Samaguri and Golaghat and all the three MLAs. Goutom Bora, Rockeybul Hussain and Ajanta Neog respectively – are ministers in the Gogoi Cabinet. Obviously they have left no stone unturned to ensure a win for the Congress nominees. The AGP on the other hand has five LACs – Rupahihat, Kaliabor, Sarupathar, Khumtai and Dergaon (ST). In Dhing, there is an AUDF MLA and in Bokakhat there is an independent MLA Jiten Gogoi who is now absconding being involved in a criminal ease at KNP.
The presence of AUDF candidate, who happens to be the brother of Badruddin Ajmal, the arch-enemy of Tarun Gogoi, has become a headache for the Congress. The Congress lost this HPC only twice, in 1985 and in 1996, and both time due to strong presence of religious minority candidates. In 1985, UMF’s Majahrool Latif and in 1996 Congress (Tiwari)’s Abdul Mannan Farooqi, who had got 1.20 lakh and 1.35 lakh votes respectively ensured AGP’s return. The same thing may repeat again in 2009.
Another cause of concern for Congress is opposition by ATTSA, which has a considerable base in the tea garden areas. However, both AGP and its ally BJP have very little base among tea garden labourers. Tea garden community can play a vital role in the Assembly segments of Kaliabor, Bokakhat, Khumtai and Sarupathar while religious minority votes are the deciding factor in Dhing, Batadrava, Rupahihat and Samaguri. Dergaon and Sarupathar also have a good number of minority votes.
The Kaliabor HPC was formed in 1967. Since then, the Congress has been representing this constituency barring seven years. It was represented by Bedabrat Barua of Congress from 1967 to 1978, form three terms. From 1978 to 1983, Tarun Gogoi (INC), from 1983 to 1985 Bishnu Prasad (INC), from 1985 to 1991 Bhadreswar Tanti (AGP), from 1991 to 1996 Tarun Gogoi (INC), from 1996 to 1998 Keshab Mahanta (AGP) represented Kaliabor HPC. In the elections of 1998, 1999 and 2001, Tarun Gogoi retained this seat. While he resigned for chief ministership his younger brother Dip Gogoi was nominated by Congress who managed to enter parliament through the by-election of 2002. He was re-elected in 2004 for the second time and has been nominated by the party this time again. As such, Kaliabor is a stronghold of the Congress. But the recent rift among traditional vote bank my alter this scene.
‘Tea tribes cheated’: “The political parties are cheating tea garden community in Assam and using them as more vote banks only. They do nothing concrete for them except for empty promises,” said Arun Dusad, president and Prakash Burhoi, secretary, Badulipar sub-branch ATTSA, in a press release here recently. “The ruling Congress never pays heed to the vital problems of the tea garden labourers. ATTSA has been drawing attention to the State and Central government time and time again for the root causes of miseries of the tea tribes viz problem of education, sanitation, daily wages, scholarship for tea garden students and above all ST status to the tea tribes of Assam. But all have fallen on deaf ears,” they added. ASSAM TRIBUNE
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