Nalbari: Once a hotbed of ULFA militancy, Nalbari Legislative Assembly Constituency (LAC) in western Assam is longing to vote for a change in this election notwithstanding the diktat issued by the proscribed United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) or the ULFA hawks to the people not to support the BJP and its ally AGP in this polls accusing both the parties of unleashing the dark phase of ‘secret killings’ of innocent ULFA kin in late 1990s.
The here the main contest is between the BJP candidate Ashok Sharma and the Congress candidate Pradyut Bhuyan. While Ashok Sharma has a RSS background, Pradyut Bhuyan is young prospering businessman with a clean image. Ashok Sharma from the BJP is supported by its ally AGP that has strong base in Nalbari.
The incumbent MLA, Jayanta Malla Baruah who was from Congress and later shifted to the BJP in October last year, was not given ticket by the saffron party to contest because of strong anti-incumbency factor working against him.
“We are neither scared nor concerned about what the ULFA has to say against the BJP or the AGP.
The people are longing for a change and respite from corruption and commission raj. The BJP has promised to protect the identity of the ethnic communities.
With Sarbananda who has been fighting for safeguarding the identity of the indigenous communities, at the leader of the BJP in the state we want to trust the party for a change,” said Dipak Kumar Baishya , a craftsman in Balmugkuchi village in Nalbari.
“The BJP hopes to win over all the young voters this time while Congress hopes that the clean image of their candidate who has been fielded in election for the first time will work for the party in the polls,’’ said a students’ leader in Nalbari.
Nobody in Nalbari is however willing to discuss the threat issued by the UKFA against the BJP and the AGP though it was a place once considered breeding ground of ULFA men and bore the brunt of Army operations against ULFA militants.
