BJP To Contest 11 LS Seats In Assam, 3 For Allies;  Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI-   The BJP will contest 11 seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in Assam, leaving three for its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.

The AGP will contest from Barpeta and Dhubri, while UPPL will field its candidate in Kokrajhar. The allies will support each other’s candidates in all the 14 constituencies, Sarma said.

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Kokrajhar seat is currently held by independent Naba Kumar Sarania. The Barpeta seat is represented by Abdul Khaleque from Congress, and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal is the sitting MP from Dhubri.

“Yesterday, BJP state chief Bhabesh Kalita and I had a meeting with our national president J P Nadda, Union Home minister Amit Shah and our national general secretary B L Santosh, during which the seat-sharing was discussed,” he told a press conference at the party headquarters here.

He said UPPL had requested for the Kokrajhar seat, which the BJP agreed to.

“The AGP, which has its base across the state, wanted more seats. But, I conveyed to them the request of our central leadership to contest from two seats this time, and they have obliged us,” the CM said.

“Of the total 14 seats, we are optimistic of winning 11,” he said.

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CM Sarma indicated that the list of 11 BJP candidates is expected to be released soon and it is likely to have few new faces.

The BJP has nine MPs in the outgoing Lok Sabha from the state, while the AGP and UPPL have no representation.

The Congress holds three seats and the AIUDF one, while another is with an independent candidate.