Dibrugarh: The Naharkatia assembly constituency in Assam’s Dibrugarh district is headed for a high-voltage rematch on April 9, with sitting BJP MLA Taranga Gogoi once again taking on four-time Congress MLA and former minister Pranati Phukan in what is expected to be a direct fight.Though SUCI (Communist) candidate Mohendra Dhadhumia, JMM candidate Sanjay Bagh and Independent candidate Michael Kujur are also in the fray, the main contest is widely seen as a straight battle between BJP and Congress.The 2021 election marked a turning point in Naharkatia’s political history when Taranga Gogoi, then 41, became the first BJP candidate to win the seat. He defeated Phukan by 14,976 votes, securing 47,268 votes against her 32,292. AJP president and anti-CAA agitation leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi had finished third with 25,232 votes.Five years later, Taranga Gogoi enters the contest from a position of strength. Across the constituency, there is little visible anti-incumbency against him, with many residents crediting him for major development works during his tenure. These include improved road infrastructure, construction of a sports stadium, tourism-related initiatives and other civic projects.“Taranga da has transformed Naharkatia. The roads, the stadium, the overall development — people can see it with their own eyes. That is why the people trust him,” said Biplab Sonowal, a local resident of Naharkatia town.Even so, key concerns remain. Flooding and river erosion caused by the Buridehing continue to affect several parts of the constituency, and residents in those areas say the issue remains unresolved and requires urgent long-term action.Pranati Phukan, 62, returns to the contest with significant political experience and an established support base. She represented Naharkatia for four consecutive terms from 1996 to 2016 as a Congress MLA. During that period, she served as a minister in the Tarun Gogoi cabinet and also as Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly.Her long tenure, however, continues to draw criticism. Local observers have pointed to the poor state of road infrastructure during her years in office, an issue the BJP has revived in its campaign against her.Naharkatia has seen shifting political control since its first assembly election in 1978. In the nine elections held so far, Congress has won four times, while the CPM and AGP have won twice each, and the BJP once. CPM’s Sasha Kamal Handique won in 1978 and 1991, while AGP’s Kusumbar Tairai Gogoi won in 1985. Pranati Phukan then held the seat for four straight terms from 1996 to 2011. AGP’s Naren Sonowal broke that run in 2016 before Taranga Gogoi delivered the BJP’s first win in 2021.With voting approaching, Naharkatia is set for one of the most closely watched contests in Dibrugarh district, pitting the BJP’s development plank against the Congress candidate’s long political experience.
