Final Day Rush as Candidates File Nominations for Assembly Elections

The process of filing nomination papers for the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry came to an end on Monday. Voting in all three regions will be held in a single phase on April 9.

The scrutiny of nominations will take place on Tuesday, while candidates can withdraw their names until March 26.

In Assam, this election is particularly significant as it will be the first since the delimitation exercise carried out in 2023.

On the final day of nominations, several senior leaders across party lines, including ministers, state chiefs, former MPs, and recently joined candidates, filed their papers, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest.

The BJP-led NDA, including the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), is aiming for a third straight term in power.

However, on the other side, the Congress is leading a six-party opposition alliance, and parties like the Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) have also fielded their candidates.

Among the key names, AGP president Atul Bora filed his nomination from Bokakhat in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

All eyes are on Jorhat constituency, from where BJP’s Hitendra Nath Goswami has filed his nomination against Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi, who is entering the Assembly poll fray for the first time. He submitted his papers after leading a large procession.

Before filing a nomination, shifting from one party to another has been witnessed in Assam, where Former Congress leader Bhupen Kumar Borah, who recently joined the BJP, filed his nomination from Bihpuria and Nandita Garlosa, denied a BJP ticket, joined the Congress and quickly filed her nomination from Haflong.

In the current Assembly, the BJP holds 64 seats, while its allies AGP, UPPL and BPF have nine, seven and three seats respectively. The Congress has 26 MLAs, AIUDF 15, and CPI(M) one.
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