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Guwahati, March 19 (IANS): Assam Minister and BJP's pointsman in the northeastern region, Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied by the Chief Ministers of Assam and Manipur as well as top party leaders, on Friday submitted his nomination papers for the Jalukbari seat. The Congress turned saffron party leader was elected from here for three consecutive terms until 2016.
Sarma, who holds the Finance, Health, Education, PWD and other portfolios, had won the seat by a margin of over 85,000 votes in 2016.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, his Manipur counterpart N.Biren Singh, BJP's national Vice-President Baijayant Jay Panda, Union Minister Rameswar Teli, a host of other senior leaders led a mega roadshow when Sarma submitted his candidature for the Jalukbari seat at the Deputy Commissioner's office at Panbazar in Guwahati.
Jalukbari will go to the polls on April 6 in the third phase.
Convener of the BJP-led anti-Congress alliance of regional parties -- North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), Sarma, who was also accompanied by his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma and son Nandil, has been winning this seat since 2001 as the Congress nominee before he joined the BJP in 2015.
"I expect that the winning margin would be increased this time and would be in between 1,20,000 to 1,50,000," Sarma told the media.
Sarma since last year off and on said that he would not contest the elections but latter agreed to fight the polls fuelling debate on the BJP's chief ministerial candidate in Assam as the party has been non-committal on declaring incumbent Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, as its CM candidate.
Ahead of the rally, Sarma offered prayers at the famous Kamakhya Devi Temple, which was rebuilt in 1565 by Koch king Naranarayana and is one of the 51 holy and venerated sites in India.
Thousand of BJP supporters played traditional musical instruments to greet Sarma while hundreds of women, in colourful attires, performed the famous Bihu dance on the 2-km stretch from Sonaram High School field at Bharalumukh to the deputy commissioner's office at Panbazar which the rally covered in a span of three hours. Elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held in three phases on March 27, April 1 and 6. Counting of votes will take place on May 2.