Siddhartha Bhattacharya brought Himanta Biswa Sarma to BJP. Today party denies him ticket.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its first list of 88 candidates for the Assam Assembly polls on March 19, dropping several sitting MLAs, injecting fresh faces, and executing strategic constituency switches to fortify its dominance. 

Among the most notable omissions is former Assam BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharya, who has been denied a ticket from the New Guwahati constituency. In his place, the party has fielded Diplu Ranjan Sarmah, currently an MLA from Samaguri.

Bhattacharya’s exclusion has drawn significant attention within political circles, given his long-standing association with the BJP and his pivotal role in shaping the party’s growth in Assam. Having joined the BJP in 1995, he served as the state unit president in 2014–15, following which he was replaced by Sarbananda Sonowal ahead of 2016 Assam Legislative Assembly election. He is believed to have played a key role in facilitating the entry of Himanta Biswa Sarma into the BJP, while he was still the president of the state unit.

Despite a fluctuating electoral journey, losing the Gauhati East seat in 2011 before registering a landslide victory in 2016, Bhattacharya went on to serve as Assam’s Education Minister between 2018 and 2021. However, his exclusion from both the ministry and now the candidate list has fuelled speculation of internal shifts and changing power dynamics within the party.

Bhattacharya's political journey boasts triumphs and setbacks. He suffered a narrow defeat in Gauhati East in 2011, losing by 3,997 votes to Congress's Robin Bordoloi. But he roared back in 2016, clinching the seat with a landslide 96,637-vote margin over Congress's Bobeeta Sharma. Elevated to Education Minister from 2018-2021, he was later dropped from the cabinet.

Among the other sitting MLAs who have been dropped from BJP's candidate list today includes, senior BJP leader Atul Bora, who has been replaced with former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi.

Similarly, Hemanga Thakuria has been replaced by Himangshu Shekhar Baishya in Palasbari. In Bihpuria, senior BJP leader Amiya Bhuyan has been dropped in favour of Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah, marking another notable political crossover that could reshape local electoral dynamics.

Meanwhile, Ramakrishna Ghosh, who has been representing Hojai constituency since 2021, has been replaced by Shiladitya Dev. On the other hand, Diganta Ghatowal, sitting MLA from Behali has been replaced by Munindra Das.

On the other hand, from Barchalla constituency, Ritu Baran Sarmah replaces sitting MLA Ganesh Limbu. 

The party has, however, retained some of its established leaders. Suren Phukan will recontest from Digboi, while in Dibrugarh, veteran leader Prashanta Phukan has been retained.

In Tinsukia, Pulak Gohain replaces Sanjay Kishan, who will now contest from Makum, retaining the party’s ticket but shifting constituencies. 

In Biswanath, veteran Promod Borthakur has been replaced by Pallab Lochan Das, while in Bokajan, Deputy Speaker Nomal Momin has been dropped in favor of Suriya Rongphar.

Meanwhile, in Silchar, former MP Rajdeep Roy has been fielded, replacing Dipayan Chakraborty.

One of the most keenly watched contests is set to unfold in Jorhat, where sitting MLA and former Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami will defend his seat against Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi, setting the stage for a high-voltage electoral battle.