GUWAHATI
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the byelections to eight Assembly constituencies across three northeastern States, in results announced on Saturday (November 23, 2024).
In Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party won three of these seats — Behali, Dholai, and Samaguri — while its regional allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), retained the Bongaigaon and Sidli constituencies, respectively.
Bypolls election results LIVE updates: November 23
The National People’s Party (NPP), which remains a key NDA constituent despite pulling out of the BJP-led government in Manipur, wrested the Gambegre seat from the Congress in Meghalaya, while the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha won the Namchi-Singithang and Soreng Chakung constituencies in Sikkim unopposed in October.
BJP breakthrough
The BJP tasted its first victory in the Congress bastion of Samaguri, where an intense electoral battle was preceded by pre-poll violence. The Congress had been tipped to retain the seat, which had been vacated by Rakibul Hussain, who became the party’s MP from Dhubri. Instead, the BJP’s Diplu Ranjan Sarmah got the better of Congress candidate Tanzil Hussain, the MP’s son.
The Congress betrayed some fragility in the multi-party United Opposition Forum Assam which it heads, by not letting one of its allies contest the Behali constituency. The BJP retained the seat, with its candidate Diganta Ghatowal defeating the Congress’s Jayanta Borah.
Ahead of the bypoll in Dholai, the Congress targeted BJP andidate Nihar Ranjan Das, alleging he was a Bangladesh. However, he had the last laugh, retaining the seat for the BJP while defeating Congress rival Dhrubajyoti Purakayastha.
In Bongaigaon, AGP candidate Diptimoyee Choudhury defeated Congress candidate Brajenjit Singha. Ms Choudhury is the wife of AGP veteran Phani Bhushan Choudhury, who had vacated the seat after becoming the MP from Barpeta.
In Sidli, the UPPL’s Nirmal Kumar Brahma trounced Suddho Kumar Basumatary of the Bodoland People’s Front by a record margin of 37,016 votes.
‘Unwavering support’
In Meghalaya, the ruling NPP’s Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma, the wife of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, won the Gambegre seat, which had previously been a Congress stronghold. She defeated the Trinamool Congress’s Sadhiarani M. Sangma, the wife of former Minister Zenith Sangma. “The outcome in Gambegre has reaffirmed the people’s trust in the party. To live up to their expectations is a big challenge now,” Ms. Mehtab Sangma said.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the clean sweep for the NDA in Assam was “a resounding testament to Assam’s unwavering support” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of good governance and development.
“A special mention for Samaguri, a constituency with a 65% minority population, held by Congress for 25 years, now won by the BJP. This historic victory reaffirms people’s trust in our welfare agenda and their firm rejection of the Opposition’s divisive politics,” he said in a post on X.
