Dibrugarh: In Dhemaji, the election battle is shaping up as a gripping three-way contest, with shifting alliances, strong personalities and persistent local issues influencing voters.The Dhemaji constituency, a reserved Scheduled Tribe (ST) seat, is headed for a multi-cornered contest with sitting BJP MLA and state education minister Ranoj Pegu facing a triangular challenge from Congress candidate Sailen Sonowal and Independent candidate Babul Sonowal. Three other candidates — Lilimai Doley of SUCI (Communist), Lalit Pegu of Voters Party International and Narendra Kumar Paw of TMC — are also in the fray, though observers see the principal contest as a three-way fight.The contest carries an interesting backstory. Babul Sonowal was initially named as the Raijor Dal candidate, but a last-minute alliance between Raijor Dal and Congress led to his candidature being withdrawn. Unwilling to step aside, he entered the race as an Independent, adding a compelling twist.Ranoj Pegu, 64, an MBBS graduate from Gauhati Medical College, remains a towering figure in Dhemaji politics. Belonging to the Mising community, which forms a significant share of voters, he has strong grassroots connections and wide recognition. Of the six candidates, four — including Pegu — are from the Mising community, while Babul and Sailen belong to the Sonowal Kachari community.Pegu founded the regional Sanmilita Gana Shakti in 2005 before joining BJP in 2017. He won the Dhemaji by-election that year by 9,285 votes, defeating Babul, and significantly increased his margin in 2021, defeating AJP’s Chittaranjan Basumatary by 30,792. Congress candidate Sailen finished third with 44,832 votes.“I have served the people of Dhemaji with complete dedication — first as their representative and now as their education minister. The trust that this constituency has placed in me twice is my greatest strength and my greatest responsibility. I will continue to work for the development of Dhemaji and the welfare of every community in this seat. The BJP govt has brought unprecedented progress and I am confident that voters will recognise and reward that once again,” Pegu said.However, Congress believes the situation has changed. “Ranoj Pegu has been the education minister for years, yet the youth of Dhemaji are still leaving Assam to do semi-skilled labour in distant states. Floods destroy our homes every year and our rural roads remain in a deplorable condition. It is time to hold the govt accountable,” Sailen said.Dhemaji’s electoral history reflects shifting political preferences. Of the 12 elections since 1972, AGP won four times, while BJP and Congress secured three victories each. The Swatantra Party and an Independent candidate have also won once each.Floods and erosion, poor rural road connectivity and unemployment remain the constituency’s defining issues. Each year, many young people migrate outside Assam in search of semi-skilled work — a reality all candidates have promised to address, but voters are still waiting to see a change.
