Dibrugarh: The newly carved out Makum constituency in Tinsukia district is set for a triangular contest, with BJP’s Sanjoy Kishan, Congress candidate Sibanath Chetia and TMC’s Dilip Moran battling it out for the honour of becoming the first-ever elected MLA from the seat.Two Independent candidates, Padma Kanta Chutia and Lakhyajyoti Rajkhowa, are also in the running, though the primary contest is expected to play out among the three main parties.The most prominent name on the ballot is 56-year-old Sanjoy Kishan, a two-time MLA who has been shifted by BJP from the neighbouring Tinsukia constituency to contest from the newly carved Makum seat. Kishan’s electoral pedigree is formidable. In 2016, he made history by becoming the first BJP candidate ever to win from Tinsukia, defeating sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Prasad Singh by a huge margin of 35,069 votes. He also won in 2021 by a margin of 70,797 votes. He also served as a minister in the Himanta Biswa Sarma cabinet before being replaced.“Makum is a new constituency but its people’s hopes and aspirations are not new. I have served the people of this region for 10 years, and I am committed to bringing the same energy and dedication to Makum,” Kishan said.Opposing him is 42-year-old Sibanath Chetia, who is contesting an assembly election for the first time on a Congress ticket. “The people of Makum are looking for a representative who will genuinely fight for them. Waterlogging is a major issue every monsoon, roads are in a poor state and unemployment among the youth is a growing crisis. Congress plans to address these issues,” Chetia said.The third major contender, 60-year-old Dilip Moran, brings considerable political experience to the contest as a former BJP MLA. Moran won from Doomdooma in 2011, but lost the seat in 2016. Now contesting under the TMC banner from Makum, Moran is hoping a new constituency will bring him renewed electoral fortune.
