GUWAHATI, March 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Assam to address a poll rally in Chabua in Upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district on March 20 and also campaign for Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) candidate from Chabua Assembly constituency, Ponakan Baruah.
The visit by Modi, who figures on top of BJP’s star campaigners’ list for the Assam polls, assumes significance as Chabua had witnessed massive protests against the saffron party that turned violent after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament. The local BJP MLA’s house was also set on fire by protesters.
The saffron party however has enjoyed a firm base in Chabua, which also happens to be chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s native place.
Baruah, who is also the Dibrugarh district president of AGP, had on Tuesday filed his nomination papers for Chabua constituency after “senior ally” BJP left the seat for the regional party, a decision which has annoyed grassroots BJP workers and supporters of party’s MLA, Binod Hazarika.
Hazarika will contest from Lahowal constituency this time. The shuffle is interesting, even as Lahowal MLA Rituparna Baruah (who is Ponakon’s brother) has been denied a ticket.
Asked about the seat-sharing arrangement/shuffle, a political analyst said that the regional party has “no base in Chabua, which is why the Prime Minister himself is coming to Chabua to seek votes for the AGP candidate.”
He went on to add that it was unclear as to how far Baruah would take advantage as an AGP candidate.
The AGP leader, when asked about the Prime Minister’s visit to Chabua, said, “It is a great honour and pride that the Prime Minister will be coming to campaign for the party…our workers and supporters too have been immensely motivated by the gesture.”
There are seven Assembly constituencies in Dibrugarh district and the BJP-AGP alliance is eyeing success in all of them with the chief minister recently reviewing the poll strategy of the incumbent alliance in the district.