Silchar: With discontent brewing in its Barak Valley unit after denial of tickets to several sitting legislators, BJP has stepped up efforts to contain the fallout ahead of the Apr 9 assembly elections.Assam minister Jayanta Mallabaruah on Saturday visited the region on behalf of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and held a series of meetings with leaders, including those dropped from the party’s candidate list.Mallabaruah met sitting MLAs Nihar Ranjan Das (Dholai SC), Dipayan Chakraborty (Silchar) and Mihir Kanti Som (Udharband) and urged them to work for the party’s victory. The meeting, also attended by minister Kaushik Rai and state co-in-charge Sunil Sharma, focused on strengthening organisational preparedness, boosting grassroots outreach and ensuring cohesion within the ranks.Participants said discussions revolved around election strategy and booth-level coordination, with leaders expressing a collective resolve to secure a third consecutive term for BJP in the state.“As members of BJP, the world’s largest political party, we stand united like one family. While certain decisions, including candidature, may not always be agreeable to all, our foremost identity remains that of committed karyakartas,” Mallabaruah said.“Setting aside individual considerations, we held discussions and resolved to work together with unity and dedication for the party’s success in the upcoming elections,” he added.However, signs of rebellion have already surfaced. Nihar Ranjan Das, who was denied renomination from Dholai, has resigned from BJP’s primary membership and announced his decision to contest the April 9 election as an Independent candidate. Das alleged that Silchar MP Parimal Suklabaidya played a role in his exclusion from the party’s candidate list — a charge the MP has denied.The developments underscore the challenges before BJP in maintaining unity in the Barak Valley, a key electoral region, even as it projects confidence of retaining power in the state.Across the 13 assembly constituencies in the Barak Valley — spanning Cachar, Sribhumi and Hailakandi districts — the election scenario is shaping up to be intensely competitive, with multi-cornered contests likely in several seats.While BJP and its allies are banking on organisational strength and welfare schemes, Congress is attempting a comeback by capitalising on local grievances and internal dissent within the ruling party. The emergence of Independent candidates, including disgruntled BJP leaders, is expected to add a new dimension to the contests, potentially impacting vote shares in closely fought constituencies, political observers said.
