In the first phase of voting on April 19, the fate of two Union Ministers of the NDA government and one former chief minister hangs in the balance, poised to be sealed within the confines of the ballot boxes.
Among the contenders, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju stands as a formidable force, vying for the Arunachal West seat.
A seasoned statesman, Rijiju’s illustrious journey spans three consecutive terms representing his constituency since 2004. Commanding a Cabinet portfolio in Earth and Sciences under the NDA government since 2023, yet, his path to victory faces a formidable obstacle in the form of former chief minister and current president of Arunachal Pradesh Congress, Nabam Tuki, setting the stage for a clash of titans.
Meanwhile, in the electoral cauldron of Dibrugarh, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal embarks on a quest to reclaim his political legacy.
Having previously represented the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency from 2004 to 2009 under the banner of Asom Gana Parishad, Sonowal’s journey witnessed a dramatic turn with his transition to the Bharatiya Janata Party and subsequent ascendancy to the chief ministerial throne in Assam.
Now, amidst the fervor of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Sonowal faces a formidable challenger in Assam Jatiya Parishad’s Lurinjyoti Gogoi, a prominent figure in the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests, setting the stage for a gripping electoral showdown.
Amidst these high-profile clashes, the spotlight shifts to the historic constituency of Jorhat, reminiscent of the political battlegrounds of Amethi in Assam.
Here, Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi locks horns with BJP’s incumbent MP Topon Gogoi, igniting a fierce contest fueled by political fervor and strategic maneuvering. Against the backdrop of recent events, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s homage to the legendary Ahom general Lachit Barphukan and unveiling a 125-metre-long statue of the general, Jorhat emerges as a symbol of political significance, its legacy intertwined with the rich tapestry of Assamese history and culture.
Venturing beyond Assam’s borders, the electoral landscape extends its reach to the picturesque hills of Shillong, where incumbent Vincent Pala of Congress braces for a challenge from BJP’s alliance partner, Nationalist People’s Party candidate Ampareen Lyngdoh.
Against the backdrop of cascading waterfalls and mist-covered peaks, the electoral battlegrounds come alive with the echoes of democracy, as voters prepare to cast their ballots in a momentous exercise of civic duty.
Two seats of Manipur — inner and outer — will also go for polls in the restive state . Voting will also take place for solitary seats of Nagaland, and Mizoram.
In Tripura, the stage is set for an intense battle in the Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency, where former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb of the BJP squares off against state Congress President Ashish Kumar Saha, a INDIA bloc candidate heralding a clash of ideologies.