BJP fields ex-AGP member from Dhemaji in Assembly by-election

Guwahati: Notwithstanding strong opposition from its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the ruling BJP in Assam has fielded  Ranuj Pegu as its candidate from Dhemaji Legislative Assembly Constituency (LAC) where by-election will be held on April 9 next. The BJP candidate, Pegu who is a veteran political leader from Mising tribe in Assam, joined the BJP on Sunday from Gana Shakti Party which was established by them as a political force of Mising tribe in Assam.
The BJP candidate filed nomination on Monday in Dhemaji in presence of the state chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and other senior state BKP leaders. Sonowal exuded confidence that the people of Dhemaji would support Dr Pegu in the by-election.
The by-election has been necessitated after the sitting BJP MLA Pradan Baruah was elected to Lok Sabha from Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency in the by-election. The LS seat was earlier represented by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal who resigned after winning Assembly polls last year from Majuli LAC.
However, BJP’s decision to field their candidate from Dhemaji LAC has not gone down well with the  workers and local leaders of the ally AGP, who have threatened to resign en masse from the AGP and field an Independent candidate Paramananda Sonowal. The Dhemaji district unit of the AGP has reminded the BJP that the saffron party had pledged to support an AGP candidate in Assembly by-poll in lieu of AGP’s support to BJP’s Pradan Baruah in the Lok Sabha by-election.
Congress has fielded Babul Sonowal as its candidate for the by-election to Dhemaji LAC.