Assam: BJP gives tickets to 3 MLAs who shifted alliance to contest bypolls

Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday gave tickets to three former MLAs who shifted alliance to join the saffron brigade for the upcoming by elections in the state.

While two of these former MLAs won the last Assembly elections on Congress tickets, one won the Assembly election 2021 on the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) ticket.

Phanidhar Talukdar, former AIUDF MLA, has been given BJP ticket for the Bhabanipur Assembly seat while party tickets have been awarded to former Congress MLAs Rupjyoti Kurmi and Sushanta Borgohain to contest for Mariani and Thowra seats, respectively.

Five assembly seats are going to the by-polls on October 30, 2021.

The by-poll to Mairani, Thowra and Bhabanipur seats was necessitated after Rupjyoti Kurmi, Sushanta Borgohain and Phanidhar Talukdar, who represented these constituencies respectively, resigned as MLAs to join the BJP.

The BJP is likely to leave the two seats – Tamulpur and Gossaigain – to its ally United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) led by BTC chief Pramod Boro.

The last date of filing nomination papers is October 8, 2021 and October 16, 2021 is the last date for the withdrawal of nomination. (UNI)