Assam: Independent candidate stuns BJP, shakes Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass’s stronghold in Bajali

Independent candidate Dilip Baruah has dealt a heavy blow to the ruling BJP by clinching a decisive victory in the No. 4 Central Bajali Zilla Parishad seat—considered a stronghold of senior minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass.

Despite BJP’s aggressive push, fielding Ranjit Saloi—an aide closely associated with Minister Dass—the voters handed a clear verdict in favor of Baruah. Saloi, backed by the full weight of the party machinery, fell short even after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma personally campaigned in the area to secure the seat.

Baruah secured 14,072 votes, outpacing BJP's Saloi, who polled 9,946 votes. The independent candidate’s winning margin of 4,126 votes sent ripples through political circles, signaling discontent within the BJP’s traditional voter base in Bajali.

Following his victory, Baruah, while addressing the media, hailed the electorate's mandate, stating, "The people have shown once again that in a democracy, they are the real rulers." He thanked the voters of Central Bajali for reaffirming their faith in democratic values through this decisive result.