Assam: By-polls announced for five constituencies, voting on November 13

The Election Commission of India announced today, October 15, the schedule for by-polls in five assembly constituencies in Assam. 

The by-polls will be conducted in Bongaigaon, Sidli, Behali, Samaguri, and Dholai on November 13, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23.

The Gazette Notification will be issued on October 18, and the last date for filing nomination papers is October 25. The scrutiny of nomination papers is set for October 28, and candidates can withdraw their nominations by October 30.

The by-polls have been necessitated by the election of incumbent legislators to the Lok Sabha in the general elections held earlier this year. 

MLAs who transitioned to the Lok Sabha include BJP’s Parimal Suklabaidya, who represented the Dholai Assembly segment and won the Cachar Lok Sabha seat, and Ranjit Dutta from Behali, who secured the Tezpur parliamentary seat.

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Veteran AGP leader Phani Bhushan Choudhury, who has held the Bongaigaon constituency since 1985, successfully contested the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat, while UPPL’s Joyanta Basumatary won the Kokrajhar seat after previously representing Sidli. 

Congress’s Rakibul Hussain, a five-time MLA from Samaguri, claimed a decisive victory in Dhubri.

In the upcoming by-polls on November 13, the BJP will contest in three constituencies—Behali, Dholai, and Samaguri. 

Meanwhile, its allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), will field candidates in Bongaigaon and Sidli, respectively.

Earlier, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had expressed confidence during his visit to Chirang on September 18, ahead of the Sidli by-polls.