Dibrugarh: The Tinsukia assembly constituency is headed for a direct BJP-Congress contest with a rare feature — both parties have fielded first-time candidates, and the result could end a four-decade gap in representation from the mainstream Assamese community.BJP has nominated Pulok Gohain, while Congress has fielded Devid Phukan. Both belong to the mainstream Assamese community. If either wins, Tinsukia will elect its first MLA from the community since 1983, when Congress candidate Rajendra Nath Phukan won the seat. Since then, the constituency has returned winners from other communities.“This election is historic in many ways. A new face will represent Tinsukia, and there is a real chance that the mainstream Assamese community reclaims a constituency that has been its heartland,” said Bhaskar Baruah, a political analyst.The contest has been reshaped by BJP’s decision not to re-field sitting MLA Sanjoy Kishan. Kishan, from the tea community, has instead been moved to the newly constituted Makum assembly constituency.Kishan had built a strong record in Tinsukia. In 2016, he became the first BJP candidate to win the seat, defeating sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Prasad Singh by 35,069 votes. Kishan polled 70,937 votes against Singh’s 35,868. In 2021, he won again by an even bigger margin, defeating AJP candidate and retired bureaucrat Shamsher Singh by 70,797 votes, securing 85,857 votes against 15,060.His exit leaves a gap for BJP candidate Gohain to fill as the Congress looks to regain ground.Apart from the two main contenders, Republican Party of India (Athawale) candidate Israil Nanda, from the tea community, is also in the fray. Five Independents — Bhairaw Bhagat, Chintu Baruah, Jhony Kiron Nayak, Gobind Joishy and Lalan Sahani — are also contesting.The constituency’s sizeable Hindi-speaking voter base could prove decisive in a close race.“We are confident in Pulok Gohain’s connect with the people. Tinsukia deserves a fresh face who can speak for its aspirations in the Assembly,” said Bhargab Moran, a senior BJP leader in Tinsukia.Tinsukia, the commercial hub of upper Assam, has seen 11 assembly elections since 1972. The Congress has won the seat eight times, the BJP twice and the Janata Party once. In 1978, Janata Party candidate Golap Borbora won from Tinsukia and later became Assam chief minister.Congress held the seat for long stretches through Shio Shambhu Ojha and later Rajendra Prasad Singh, who won in 2001, 2006 and 2011. The BJP broke that run with Kishan’s back-to-back victories in 2016 and 2021.Despite its commercial importance, Tinsukia continues to face chronic civic problems. Residents cite severe monsoon waterlogging, narrow and congested roads, poor traffic management and a lack of cleanliness as long-standing issues ignored by successive representatives.
