On Sunday, the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a crucial meeting to discuss the upcoming by-elections in the state. The meeting, attended by key leaders including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, took place in Guwahati. Following this, state BJP president Bhabesh Kalita announced the party’s shortlisted candidates for three assembly seats.

Candidate Selection Process

During the meeting, the BJP’s election committee finalized three potential candidates for each of the assembly seats: Behali, Dhalai, and Samaguri. These names have been forwarded to the party’s parliamentary board, which will make the final decision on the candidates who will receive tickets for the elections. Kalita indicated that the parliamentary board is expected to announce the selected candidates within a few days.

Coalition Dynamics

It’s important to note that the BJP will not be contesting the by-elections in the Sidli and Bongaigaon seats. Instead, these seats will be contested by the party’s coalition partners: the United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). Kalita highlighted that in the previous assembly elections, the Sidli seat was won by UPPL, while AGP secured the Bongaigaon seat. The BJP plans to continue supporting its coalition partners in these contests.

Context of the By-Elections

The by-elections are taking place following the vacancy of five assembly seats this year, primarily due to the Lok Sabha polls. Several MLAs from the ruling BJP, including a cabinet minister, and leaders from its alliance partners AGP and UPPL won seats in the Lok Sabha elections. For instance, BJP MLAs Parimal Suklabaidya and Ranjit Dutta won the Cachar and Tezpur Lok Sabha seats, respectively. Meanwhile, veteran AGP leader Phani Bhushan Choudhury, who has held the Bongaigaon assembly seat since 1985, won the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat.

The upcoming by-elections will be crucial for the BJP and its coalition partners as they aim to consolidate their presence in the Assam assembly.