Know Your Constituency: Nowgong

Guwahati, April 2, 2019:

Nowgong has traditiobally been a BJP stronghold since 1999 and the BJP party again won the election in the crucial middle Assam Constituency in 2014. But the saffron party received a major jolt when the BJP's talisman, Rajen Gohain, was slapped with rape charges in 2018. Eventually, despite clearing his name of the charges, Gohain was denied the ticket and during a late night twist, MLA Rupak Sarmah was chosen to contest the election for the party instead.

Gohain had held onto the coveted Lok Sabha throne since 1999 and defeated his Congress rival Jonjonali Bruah by 143,449 votes. As per our sources, Gohain might be a factor in the elections again this year.

This might has offered some reprieve for the Congress as Hojai MLA Shiladitya Dev, who is a allegedly Gohain faithful, might not marshall his supporters to vote for the BJP candidate this time around. The Congress has nominated veteran politician and former Minister Pradyut Bordoloi from the Constituency. As per our sources, the rift might prove too much of a challenge for the party to overcome and the Congress might capitalize on that.

In the 2014 elections, Aditya Langthasa of AIUDF got 3, 14,012 votes and occupied the third slot while Mridula Barkakoty of the AGP had to settle for only 35,142 votes.

Nowgong by the numbers:

No of voters: 17, 74,465

No of female voters: 8, 63,217

No of male voters: 9, 11,198

List of Assembly Constituencies under Nowgong: Jagiroad, Morigaon, Hojai, Raha, Nagaon, Lumding, Jamunamukh, Barhampur, and Laharighat.

Bookies' favorite: Pradyut Bodoloi