Sonitpur gears up for 2024 Lok Sabha battle: key candidates and voter demographics revealed

Sonitpur is one of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam, situated in the Brahmaputra valley. Sonitpur district falls under the Darrang Duars which includes the region between the Bornadi River and Dhansiri River. The district headquarters is located at Tezpur. 

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections eyes Sonitpur as a major contender with its demographics, and past electoral trends.

As of the 2011 India census, 1,924,110 residents are there in Sonitpur District. It is the third most populous district of Assam (out of 27), after Nagaon and Dhubri. The demography of Sonitpur district is not entirely homogeneous as several linguistic, religious and ethnic communities and groups live in Sonitpur district.

The population is roughly equal to the nation of Lesotho or the US state of West Virginia.This gives it a ranking of 245th in India out of a total of 640. The district has a population density of 365 inhabitants per square kilometer (950/sq meter).

Its population growth rate over the decade of 2001-2011 was 15.67%. Sonitpur has a sex ratio of 946 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 69.96%.

The divided district has a population of 13,11,619 out of which 142,477 live in urban areas, i.e. 10.86 per cent. It has a sex ratio of 950 females per 1000 males. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 4.98 per cent and 10.60 per cent of the population respectively.

The district of Sonitpur has a major religious populace of Hindu and Muslim. As per 2011 census there are approximately 69.27 per cent Hindus and 298,381 22.75 per cent Muslims in the district and around 95,774 7.30 per cent Christians in the district. Other small populations following Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are also present in the district.

Almost 600,000 people in this district are from communities residing in Assam since pre-colonial times, making up around 46 per cent of the population. These are Assamese Brahmins, Koch Rajbongshis, Ahom, Karbi, Keot(Kaibarta), Mising, Nath Jogis, Bodo, Thengal Kachari, Chutia, Rabha,Gorkhas and other communities of Assam. 

As per the 2011 census, 37.01 per cent of the population spoke Assamese, 19.36 per cent Bengali, 12.52 per cent Sadri, 8.93 per cent Boro, 6.63 per cent Nepali, 3.79 per cent Hindi, 2.54 per cent Odia and 1.98 per cent Mundari as their first language.

Scheduled for phase 1 on April 19, the electoral landscape of Sonitpur witnesses a 3 way hustle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (AJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Candidates vying for victory are among BJP candidate Ranjit Datta, Congress candidate Premlal Ganju, and AAP candidate Rishiraj Kaundinya.

Comprising 9 assembly segments, it emerges as a crucial battleground for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Dhekiajuli, Barchalla, Sonitpur (previously Tezpur), Rangapara, Naduar, Biswanath, Behali, Gohpur, and Bihpuria are included in the segment. 

The candidates from Sonitpur assembly had already filed their nominations on Wednesday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Ranjit Dutta, the BJP candidate, filed his nomination papers on Wednesday with the returning officer at Tezpur in Assam's Sonitpur district. On the other hand Rishiraj Kaundinya files his nomination with huge support from people. Premlal Ganju, a prominent figure within the Indian National Congress (INC), has also filed his nomination for the first phase of polls in Assam. 

In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Pallab Lochan Das of the BJP emerged victorious, securing 57.48 per cent, with 684,166 votes, while M. G. V. K. Bhanu of the INC was the first runner-up with 37.08 per cent with 441,325 votes.

Over the years, the political landscape of Sonitpur was represented by various political parties. Moni Kumar Subba of the INC won the constituency in 1998, 1999, and 2004, while Joseph Toppo of the AJP won in 2009. The victory of Ram Prasad Sarmah     and Pallab Lochan Das in 2014 and 2019 respectively continued the BJP's hold on the seat.

As Sonitpiur readies itself for another electoral showdown, the stakes are high