Akhil Gogoi’s Raijor Dal names second candidate for Assam bypoll

GUWAHATI: Opposition Raijor Dal on Friday announced its second candidate among the five assembly seats in Assam, where bypolls will take place on October 30.

Addressing a press conference here, Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi said his party’s nominee Sanjib Gogoi will contest for the Mariani seat in the upcoming byelections.

The party has fielded Dhaijya Konwar from the Thowra assembly constituency.

“Sanjib Gogoi will contest the Mariani seat. It is my home constituency and we are very sure to win it,” the party president said.

Asked about the possible association with the Congress, Gogoi said, “We were the first to propose one opposition candidate to defeat the BJP, but the Congress did not show any interest. When we have announced our candidates, then they are offering us one seat.”

He said his party will not leave Thowra seat but is ready to consider the Congress’ proposal if they get support in the constituency.

“If they (Congress) support us, then we will campaign for them in the remaining four seats,” Gogoi said.

Thowra and Mariani seats were bagged by the Congress in the assembly polls held earlier this year, but the MLAs resigned and joined the ruling BJP.

The other three constituencies, which are going for polls, are Bhabanipur, Tamulpur and Gossaigaon.

The Majuli seat also fell vacant, but the election will not be held this time as its representative, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, had resigned from the House just hours after the bypoll schedule was announced by the Election Commission on September 28.

Akhil Gogoi is the lone legislator from the Raijor Dal in the assembly and was elected as an Independent.