Ihe BJP announced the names of 88 candidates for the Assam Assembly polls this evening, also declared its first list for West Bengal.
After a three hour long meeting of its Central Election Committee (CEC), the BJP announced the names of 88 candidates for the Assam Assembly polls this evening. It also declared its first list for West Bengal.
Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, party's Chief Ministerial candidate, will contest from Majuli - a reserved seat for tribals - one of the world's largest river islands and the seat of a powerful Vaishanavite monastery.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, who led a rebellion in the Congress and joined BJP last August, will contest from Jalukbari, a seat he has represented for three terms. Several Congress rebels who had joined BJP along with Mr Sarma too have been accommodated.
Lok Sabha member and tea community leader Kamakhya Prasad Tasha will take on Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi from Titabor in Upper Assam.
Party chief Amit Shah chaired the meeting that was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others. In Assam, BJP will contest 90 out of the 126 assembly seats. Names for two more seats are expected to be announced in the next couple of days.
The remaining seats will be contested by its allies, Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodo People's Front.
Significantly, in a state that has 40 Muslim-majority seats, BJP has fielded eight minority candidates in an attempt to reach out to them.
Pitching illegal infiltration from Bangladesh as a major poll issue, the BJP has forged a rainbow coalition with several regional outfits to try and oust the Congress that has continuously ruled Assam since 2001.Polling in the state would take place on April 4 and 11.
"Our list of candidates has the representation of greater Assamese society. It is a reflection of greater Assam," Union Minister and party's Parliamentary Board secretary JP Nadda told a press conference.
The party also cleared 52 candidates for the election to 294-member West Bengal Assembly.
Chandra Kumar Bose, grandnephew of Subhas Chandra Bose, has been fielded against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhawanipur constituency. State party chief Dilip Ghosh will contest Kharagpur Sadar seat.
Bengali film and TV actress Locket Chatterjee will contest Mayureswar while Samik Bhattacharya, who became the first BJP legislator in the Assembly after winning a bypoll, will fight from Basirhat Dakshin, which he currently represents. Actor Joy Banerjee will try his luck from Suri.