By-polls campaigning ends for Khonsa, Assam, Sikkim

Guwahati, Oct. 19 (PTI): Campaigning for Monday’s by-elections to four Assembly constituencies in Assam, Khonsa West Assembly seat in Arunachal Pradesh and three Sikkim Assembly seats ended on Saturday. In Assam, the fate of 20 contestants in the four seats - Rangapara, Sonari, Ratabari and Jania - will be known when results will be announced after counting of votes on Thursday. The by-polls to these constituencies were necessitated after sitting BJP MLAs and ministers Pallab Lochan Das (Rangapara) and Tapan Gogoi (Sonari) along with Deputy Speaker Kripanath Mallah (Ratabari) and Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque (Jania) were elected to the Lok Sabha. Campaigning was low-key in the seats with state leaders addressing election meetings along with the candidates in the respective constituencies. In Rangapara, five candidates are in the fray. They are Rajen Bortakur of BJP, Kartik Kurmi of Congress, Royal Soreng of CPI(M), Sanjit Rajbangshi of SUCI (Communist) and Arup Kumar Chowdhury of the Bharatiya Gana Parishad. BJP’s Nabanita Handique and Sushil Kumar Suri of Congress are the contestants in Sonari. In Ratabari, four candidates are in the arena but the fight is likely to be straight between Bijoy Malakar of BJP and Keshab Prasad Rajak of Congress. Birendra Ravidas (SUCI- Communist) and Parikhit Roy (Independent) are also in the fray. Jania constituency has the highest number of nine candidates with the contest likely to be triangular among Towfiqur Rahman (BJP), Samsul Hoque (INC) and Rafiqul Islam (AIUDF). The other candidates are Chand Mahmud (NPP), Faruk Khan (AAP), Rustom Ali (CPI-M), Abdul Jalil Talukdar (Ind), Rafikul Islam (Democratic Party of India) and Subhash Sutradhar (Ind). In Khonsa West Assembly seat, it will be a straight contest between two independent candidates - Chakat Aboh and Azet Hamtok. Five major political parties of Arunachal Pradesh, both ruling and opposition, have unanimously decided to field Chakat Aboh, the wife of NPP leader Tirong Aboh who was shot dead in May, as an independent candidate for the by-poll. The NPP leader, who was gunned down by suspected NSCN militants along with others, was the MLA of Khonsa West where the by-election will be held on Monday. Tirong Aboh, his son and nine others were shot dead by suspected NSCN militants at 12 Mile area in Tirap district on May 21, two days before he was declared elected from Khonsa West seat as a National Peoples Party (NPP) candidate. A total of 10,185 electorates will exercise their franchise in 23 polling stations of the constituency to decide the fate of two independent candidates in the fray. In Sikkim by-election for three Assembly seats including one from which Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who is not a member of the House now, is contesting. He is one of the three candidates of Poklok Kamrang constitueny where the by-poll will be held on October 21 and results will be out on October 24. Besides Poklok Kamrang, by-polls will be held in two other seats - Martam Rumtek and Gangtok. Six contestants are in the fray in each of the constituencies. Former Indian football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia is contesting from Gangtok on Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP) ticket. However, all eyes are on Poklok Kamrang from where Chief Minister Tamang aka Golay, also president of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) had filed his nomination papers on the last date on September 30, a day after the EC reduced his disqualification period by almost five years. The Election Commission (EC) on September 29 reduced Tamang’s disqualification period by almost five years under a provision of the electoral law, paving the way for him to contest the state assembly elections. The BJP, which drew a blank in the Sikkim Assembly elections earlier this year, had on September 28 announced that it has tied up with the ruling SKM in the state for the October 21 by-polls to three Assembly seats. The by-polls were necessitated as former chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling (SDF), legislators D T Lepcha (earlier with SDF and now in BJP) and Kunga Nima Lepcha (SKM) had vacated Poklok Kamrang, Martam Rumtek and Gangtok seats respectively after winning from two seats each. Prohibitory order imposed in Rangpara Assembly seat The Sonitpur district administration on Saturday imposed prohibitory order under section 144 CrPC in the Rangapara Assembly constituency for free and fair conduct of the by-election to the seat on October 21, officials said. Additional District Magistrate Rohan Kumar Jha on Saturday prohibited carrying of sharp weapons, sticks or any other objects that may be used as weapons by any person in public gathering, withdrawal or carrying of large amount of money in cash without prior intimation to the local magistrate or the officer-in-charge of local police station, they said. The owners of all hotels, lodges, rented houses in the jurisdiction of Rangapara constituency were directed not to give shelter to any person who is not an elector of the constituency. The order will come into force with immediate effect and will remain in force till the process of election is over, the officials said. The bypolls to Rangapara and three other Assembly constituencies in Assam were necessitated after sitting BJP MLAs and ministers Pallab Lochan Das (Rangapara) and Tapan Gogoi (Sonari) along with Deputy Speaker Kripanath Mallah (Ratabari) and Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque (Jania) were elected to the Lok Sabha.