BJP Releases first list of 88 candidates 'Assam assembly elections'

Amid the internal dissent over the denial of ticket, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam released its first list of 88 candidates on Thursday for the ensuing Assam assembly elections. 

Announcing that Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will contest from the Jalukbari assembly constituency for the sixth straight time in a row (thrice on a BJP ticket), the BJP confirmed that BJP would be contesting from 89 seats this year, with 26 seats given to the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and 11 to the Bodoland People's Front (BPF).

The first list also includes the names of two former Congress turncoats,



Mr Pradyut Bordoloi and Mr Bhupen Borah. 

The list of candidates triggered an angry protest by the aspirants who could not get the nomination as an old BJP leader Jayanta Kumar Das who was expecting nomination from Dispur assembly segment threatened that he would be forming a new political party and field candidates from all important constituencies. 

The sitting BJP MLA Atul Bora who was denied party ticket from Dispur to accommodate Mr Bordoloi told reporters that either he would be contesting the election as an independent candidate or extend his support to Congress candidate Mira Borthakur.