Guwahati:

An election official said 11 contestants including Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi submitted their applications to the May 19 polls on Tuesday. Nomination documents were submitted in the first phase of the constituency assembly voting.

Shipping, Ports, Waterways and Ayush Minister Mr Sonowal, accompanied by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other leaders of the ruling alliance, filed the nomination of the BJP candidate for the prestigious Dibrugarh constituency.

Today, I filed my nomination as NDA candidate from the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency.

I seek the blessings of my own people of Dibrugarh – my mother’s lap, my Janmabhoomi, my Karmabhoomi.In order to realize the honorable Prime Minister @narendramodi Kat’s dream is to build a… pic.twitter.com/PxNoAjnVyG

— Sarbananda Sonowal (Modi Ka Pariwal) (@sarbanandsonwal) March 26, 2024

Gaurav Gogoi files nomination as Congress candidate from Jorhat, state party chief Bhupen Kumar Borah and Assam He was accompanied by Parliamentary Opposition Leader Debabrata Saikia.

Submit my nomination as a candidate @INCIndia Today is the Jorhat parliamentary constituency. This nomination represents the aspirations of Assam’s youth, women, marginalized groups, farmers and every hardworking person who aspires for change and development.

mine… pic.twitter.com/5qNDohqRGX

— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) March 26, 2024

A total of 12 candidates have filed nominations so far in the state, which will go to three-phase polling on April 19, 26 and May 7 for 14 constituencies.

The constituencies to be polled in the first phase are Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur and Kaziranga.

Apart from the Chief Minister, Mr Sonowal was accompanied by Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) Chairman Atul Bora, United People’s Liberal Party (UPPL) leader Promode Bodo, the current BJP MP and Union Minister Rameswar Teli and state president Bhabesh Kalita.

A large number of BJP supporters braved inclement weather to come out to attend the rally where Sonowal was addressing before heading to the Returning Officer’s office here to submit their nomination papers.

Sonowal, who had represented the constituency as an AGP candidate earlier in 2004, will contest against United Opposition Front of Assam (UOFA) candidate Lurinjyoti Gogoi, who also filed his papers on the day.

In his speech, Sonowal said the people of his constituency will restore trust in Prime Minister Modi by ensuring his victory in Dibrugarh, which will lead to greater development of the region.

The chief minister said he was “pleased to accompany Sarbananda Dada during the filing of nominations”. People will bless him with a historic advantage and contribute to the Prime Minister’s mission of crossing the 400 mark of parliamentary seats”.

On the other hand, Congress candidate Gogoi wore a white kurta with several ‘gamosas’ (traditional handkerchiefs) hanging around his neck and his face covered in Holi colors from Jorhat Depart from the stadium and submit your nomination documents.

In addition to Bora and Saikia, he was accompanied by President Rajoor Dar, independent candidate Akhil Gogoi, deputy leader of the opposition in Parliament, candidate Rakibul Hussain of Dubri and others .

Gogoi, the sitting MP from Kaliabor constituency, which was renamed Kaziranga during the delimitation exercise, shifted to Jorhat, a constituency once occupied by his late father, former chief minister Tha Representative Len Gogoi, served three terms in Parliament.

Before filing his nomination papers, he offered prayers at places of worship in different communities.

“I pray for peace and prosperity in Assam,” Gogoi posted on X.

The main contender for the Congress leadership will be BJP sitting MP Topon Gogoi, who will meet Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday Submit the nomination under the witness of

In Lakhimpur constituency, four candidates, including current BJP MP Pradhan Barua, submitted their nomination papers that day.

Pallab Pegu of Socialist Solidarity Center of India (SUCI), Biren Bailung of Voter Party International (VPI) and Kanta Chutia of Trinamool Congress Chutia) also filed nominations from Lakhimpur.

In the Kaziranga constituency, three candidates – Congress MP Roselina Tirkey, Indian Ghana Parishad MP Sailen Chandra Malakar and Independent Binod Gogoi submitted the document.

In Sonitpur, independent Pradip Bhandari has filed nomination, after Congress’s Prem Lal Ganju who has filed papers for the seat so far the second candidate.

In the first phase, the last date for submission of nominations is March 27, the date for review of nominations is March 28, and the last date for withdrawal of candidates is March 30.

In the outgoing Lok Sabha, the BJP had 9 seats, the Congress had 3 seats and the AIUDF and the Independent State had 1 seat each.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)