Assam Bypolls: UPPL Fields Ex-MCLA of BTC Nirmal Kumar Brahma as its Candidate for Sidli Seat

The United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) has nominated Nirmal Kumar Brahma for the Sidli Assembly seat with by-elections scheduled for November 13 alongside four other seats in Assam.

Brahma is contesting the Assam Assembly by-polls for the first time.

He previously served as a Member of the Council of Legislative Assembly (MCLA) for the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) from 2015 to 2020. In the 2020 BTC council elections, he was defeated by James Basumatary of Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).

Brahma is also the president of the UPPL’s Chirang district committee.

Of the 5 seats, BJP is contesting 3 seats while UPPL one and AGP one seat.

On Sunday, the BJP announced Nihar Ranjan Das for the Dholai seat, Diganta Ghatowar for Behali, and Diplu Ranjan Sarma for the Samaguri seat.

The Congress announced the names of Dhrubajyoti Purakayastha for Dholai, Sanjib Warle for Sidli, Brajenjit Sinha for Bongaigaon, and Tanzil Hussain for Samaguri seats.

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has nominated Diptimoni Choudhury, wife of eight-time AGP MLA and current Lok Sabha MP Phanibhushan Choudhury, for the Bongaigaon seat.

Now, only BPF is yet to announce their candidates for the upcoming by-polls.

The 5 seats fell vacant as the MLAs representing these seats were elected as MPs in the recently held 18th Lok Sabha polls.

The Sidli seat fell vacant as Joyanta Basumatary of the UPPL who was representing the seat, was elected from the Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat.

Behali seat fell vacant after 4-time Behali MLA (2001, 2006, 2016 and 2021), Ranjit Dutta won the Sonitpur Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 3,61,408 votes defeating his nearest rival, Prem Lal Ganju of Congress. Dutta got 7,75,788 votes while Ganju got 4,14,380 votes.

By-poll for the Bongaigaon seat has been necessitated as 8-time MLA from the seat, Phani Bhushan Choudhury of the AGP, an ally of BJP in Assam, won the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat with 8,60,113 votes defeating his nearest rival Deep Bayan of the Congress who polled 6,37,762 votes.

Congress leader Rakibul Hussain, a 5-time MLA from the Samaguri Assembly seat won the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat with 14,71,885 votes defeating sitting MP Badruddin Ajmal of AIUDF who got 4,59,409 votes. Therefore, election for the Samaguri Assembly seat will have to be held.

Bypolls for the Dholai Assembly seat will have to held as Assam Transport, Excise and Fisheries Minister in the Himanta Biswa Sarma Government and 5-time MLA of Dholia, Parimal Suklabaidya won from the Silchar Lok Sabha seat trouncing Surya Kanta Sarkar of Congress by 2,64,311 votes.

Also Read: Assam By-polls: BJP Announces Candidates for Dholai, Behali, and Samaguri Seats