Son of tea grower vs political dynasties: Raijor Dal's Rahul Chetry sets tone for Margherita contest

Slamming both the ruling BJP government and the Congress, Rahul Chetry on Thursday, March 5 declared that the upcoming electoral battle in the 83rd Margherita Legislative Assembly constituency would be a contest between “the soil and the people” and “money and power”.

Addressing a press conference at the Raijor Dal office in Ledo under Tinsukia district, Chetry, who has been fielded by Raijor Dal, expressed gratitude to party president Akhil Gogoi and the party leadership for reposing faith in him by nominating him as the candidate for the constituency.

Introducing himself as the son of a small tea grower, Chetry framed the upcoming election as a symbolic struggle between grassroots representation and entrenched political power. “This election will be a fight between the son of a small tea grower and those backed by immense wealth and political lineage,” he said.

Without mincing words, Chetry said the contest would pit “a son of the soil” against candidates representing moneyed influence and political dynasties, in an apparent reference to his rivals.

The Raijor Dal candidate said he entered the electoral fray to safeguard the rights and dignity of ordinary citizens of Margherita. He highlighted several long-pending issues in the constituency, including unemployment, deteriorating road infrastructure, rising drug abuse, and persistent challenges in healthcare and education.

Chetry also pointed to the difficulties faced by tea garden workers and small tea growers, stating that these concerns have remained largely unaddressed despite years of political representation.

“The people of Margherita have been waiting for genuine solutions for a long time. I have entered this election with the aim of addressing these pressing problems,” he said, adding that with the support and cooperation of the people, he would work towards the overall development of the constituency.

During the interaction with the media, Chetry launched a scathing attack on Pradyut Bordoloi and sitting MLA Bhaskar Sharma, alleging that many fundamental issues in Margherita remain unresolved despite their long political tenures.

He also took aim at the Congress nominee Prateek Bordoloi, describing him as a “parachute candidate” with little connection to the ground realities of the constituency.

Chetry asserted that Raijor Dal is contesting the election based on its grassroots connect and history of struggles alongside the people of Assam.