The ruling BJP on Sunday followed the Opposition Congress in naming the candidates for the four Assembly seats in Assam where by-elections would be held on October 21.
These seats fell vacant after three BJP MLAs and one Congress MLA were elected to the Lok Sabha. The death of the candidates necessitated the bypolls in two other Assembly seats in the northeast — Khonsa West in Arunachal Pradesh and Shella in Meghalaya.
The BJP announced the names of Towfiqur Rahman, Rajen Barthakur, Bijay Malakar and Nabanita Handique for the Jania, Rangapara, Ratabari and Sonari Assembly seats. On Saturday, the Congress had named Shamsul Hoque, Kartik Kurmi, Keshab Prasad Rajak and Sushil Suri for the seats.
The All India United Democratic Front, headed by MP and perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal, fielded former MLA Hafiz Rafiqul Islam for the Jania seat. “We have asked the voters to exercise their conscience vote in the other three seats,” party leader Aminul Islam said.
The United Democratic Party named Balajeid Synrem for Shella. He is the son of former Chief Minister Donkupar Roy, who died in July.
The BJP and other parties have decided not to field any candidate for the Khonsa West seat. They pledged support to Chakat Aboh, wife of Tirong Aboh who was killed by extremists in May soon after winning the seat on the National People’s Party ticket.
Ms. Aboh would be contesting as an independent. Her rivals, if any, are also expected to be independent candidates.
