Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency: The stage is set for the mega poll battle in Assam's Dibrugarh constituency as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, replacing incumbent party MP and Union Minister Rameswar Teli. Two-time MP Teli, who has been denied a BJP ticket this time, was first elected to Lok Sabha in 2014. He was a two-time MLA also. The Congress left Dibrugarh to ally Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP). AJP chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi is expected to contest against Sonowal. It is expected that there would be a direct fight between Gogoi and Sonowal.
The BJP on Saturday announced the first list of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, including Sonowal, who is currently a Rajya Sabha member.
"I am grateful to PM Modi for trusting me. Under his guidance, we all will win. I am sure, the BJP will form the government for the third term with a massive mandate with people's love and support," Sonowal, the minister of ports, shipping and waterways, said.
Who is Sonowal?
A former president of the influential All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Sonowal was an MLA (2001) and Lok Sabha MP (2004) of the AGP before switching sides to BJP in 2011. He is a three-time Assam MLA, two-time Lok Sabha member and one-time Rajya Sabha member. He has been Assam CM from May 2016 – May 2021.
Dibrugarh has been a stronghold of Assam Jaitya Parishad (AJP) which was formed by two student organizations of Assam - AASU and AJYCP in 2020. Gogoi, who completed his study in Dibrugarh, is a local boy which goes in his favour.
About Dibrugarh constituency
Dibrugarh has changed its voting pattern in the last few decades. Till 1999 it was a stronghold of Congress under Paban Singh Ghatowar's leadership as he won the seat six times. Then AGP leader Sonowal (now a BJP leader) wrested the seat from Ghatowar in 2004. Congress again returned in 2009 but BJP's Teli took the seat in 2014 and has been MP since. Teli won the seat with a margin of 3,64,566 votes by defeating Ghatowar. Dibrugarh witnessed 77.26% voter turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The constituency is composed of Margherita, Tinsukia, Digboi, Makum, Tinsukia, Chabua-Lahowal, Khowang, Duliajan, Tingkhong and Naharkatia.
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