All the three prominent faces from Assam -- Journalist Ajit Bhuyan, Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) leader Biswajit Daimary and Bhubaneswar Kalita have been officially elected to the Rajya Sabha uncontested on Wednesday.
Returning Officer Amarendra Narayan Deka announced the win of the trio officially on Wednesday. The new Rajya Sabha MP’s from Assam, Ajit Bhuyan backed by AIUDF and Congress, Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) leader Biswajit Daimary and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Bhubaneswar Kalita have collected their credentials from the Returning Officer.
It may be mentioned here that everyone’s eyes were drawn to this year’s Rajya Sabha election following the candidature of Journalist Ajit Bhuyan, who was also actively engaged in anti-Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA brought in by the Government.
ALSO READ: Ajit Bhuyan, Biswajit Daimary & Bhubaneshwar Kalita Sure Shot for Rajya Sabha, to Win Uncontested
Bhuyan’s nomination brought two political rivals — the Congress and the AIUDF — on the same platform. The Congress and its allies, severely dent after the defection of the Madhya Pradesh leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, sees this as a moral victory, and 3-time Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has opined that the BJP ship capitulated in “fear”.
However, Bhuyan was only nominated after several names were being floated by the Congress and AIUDF parties, brought together by necessity, ahead of the polls.
Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier slammed the Rajya Sabha candidature of the anti-CAA activist and journalist Ajit Bhuyan on a Congress-AIUDF ticket. Bhuyan’s official candidature for the third seat of the Rajya Sabha has brought disgrace to the intellectuals of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma had claimed.
ALSO READ: Assam Congress & AIUDF-Backed Ajit Bhuyan Termed “Hypocrite” for Filing Rajya Sabha Candidature
After North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma slammed Bhuyan for his interest in contesting for the Rajya Sabha seat, Convenor of the Prabajan Virodhi Manch and senior Advocate Upamanyu Hazarika called Bhuyan’s move as “extreme hypocrisy.”
“…When he (Ajit Bhuyan) dresses up his candidature as being representative of the sentiments and interests of the indigenous people, it turns into extreme hypocrisy as his candidature is sponsored by the Congress and the AIUDF,” he had said.
Meanwhile, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) leader Biswajit Daimary, and Bhubaneshwar Kalita had both been forwarded by the BJP, and won uncontested.
Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.
Readers like you make Inside Northeast’s work possible.
To support our brand of fearless and investigative journalism, support us HERE.
Download:
The Inside Northeast app HERE for News, Views, and Reviews from Northeast India.
Do keep following us for news on-the-go. We deliver the Northeast.