Guwahati: The Assam unit of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has shortlisted candidates for the upcoming by-elections in Behali, Dhalai, and Samaguri assembly constituencies.
The meeting of the state BJP’s election committee in Guwahati on Sunday was attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, party in-charge Harish Dwivedi and state organizational general secretary GR Ravindra Raju, and other senior party leaders.
“We had detailed discussions on the by-election and finalized the list of likely candidates for the Behali, Dhalai, and Samaguri seats. Three names of probable candidates from each of these seats have been forwarded to the party’s parliamentary board which will take a final call on the candidates who will get the tickets,” BJP’s Assam president Bhabesh Kalita said.
The parliamentary board, the topmost decision-making body of the BJP, is expected to announce the names of candidates within the next few days.
ALSO READ: Assam to celebrate ‘classical language’ status for Assamese with week-long programme
The BJP won’t be putting up candidates in the Sidli and Bongaigaon seats, which will be contested by its ruling ally, the United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
Five assembly seats in Assam fell vacant this year following the Lok Sabha polls as two MLAs from the ruling BJP (including a cabinet minister), one each from alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) and one from opposition Congress won the Lok Sabha general elections.
