Guwahati: Five newly elected MLAs, who triumphed in the recent byelections in Assam, will take their oaths as legislators today. Among them, three belong to the BJP, while one each represents the ruling party’s allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
The Congress party, which contested all five seats in the byelections, did not win any, losing its stronghold in the Samaguri Assembly constituency. This seat was previously held by Congress veteran Rakibul Hussain, whose son, Tanzil Hussain, was defeated by BJP candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarmah. Rakibul Hussain accused the BJP of extensive rigging in the Samaguri byelection, claiming that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma misused administrative resources to secure his son’s defeat.
The byelections were held for five Assembly seats—Dholai, Behali, Samaguri, Bongaigaon, and Sidli—previously vacated by legislators who were elected to the Lok Sabha in the recent general elections.
The BJP successfully retained the Dholai and Behali constituencies, with Nihar Ranjan Das and Diganta Ghatowal winning comfortably. Additionally, the BJP made inroads into Congress territory by winning the Samaguri seat. The AGP secured the Bongaigaon seat with Diptimayee Choudhury winning by a margin of 35,164 votes; her husband, Phanibhusan Choudhury, is a Lok Sabha MP and a former six-time MLA from this constituency. UPPL also claimed victory in the Sidli Assembly constituency, defeating the nearest rival by 37,016 votes.