BJP retains Assam's Majuli assembly seat in by-poll

The ruling BJP retained the Majuli (Scheduled Tribe) assembly constituency with its candidate Bhuban Gam defeating the joint opposition candidate Chittaranjan Basumatary of the Assam Jatiya Parishad by 42,141 votes in a by-poll, election office sources said on Thursday.

Gam secured 67,242 votes against Basumatary's 25,101 while the third candidate, Bhaity Richong of the Socialist Unity Centre of India-Communist, got 2,265 votes.

Altogether 1,642 people have voted for the 'None of the above' option.

The figures provided by the election officials were different but they later updated the number of votes polled by all the parties.

The Congress did not contest the by-poll and left the seat to the AJP in a bid to not divide anti-BJP votes.

The by-poll to the constituency was held on March 7.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked the people of Majuli island for reposing their faith in the ruling alliance.

"The big win of @BJP4ASSAM candidate Bhuban Gam in the bypoll to Majuli legislative assembly constituency reflects public trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda of growth and his vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas'," Sarma tweeted.

Gam who was born in an impoverished family of the Mising tribe in remote Futuki village of the island now owns a chain of ethnic Assamese cuisine restaurants.

AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan said that the people are the king in a democracy and "we accept their decision with humility".

They said that the party will remain committed to the land, heritage and people of Majuli and also thanked the people of Majuli for showering their blessings on the candidate.

The election to the constituency was necessitated following the resignation of Union Minister for Shipping, Ports and Aysuh, Sarbananda Sonowal, who was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on September 27.

The former chief minister was elected to the state assembly from the Majuli constituency for two consecutive terms from 2016.

In the 126-member assembly, the ruling coalition now has 79 MLAs.

Of this the BJP has 63, the Asom Gana Parishad nine and the United People's Party Liberal seven.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress has 27 members, the All India United Democratic Front 15, the Bodoland People's Front three, Communist Party of India-Marxist one and one independent.