Assembly polls: Tough fight between Congress and BJP candidates in Sootea in Assam

SOOTEA: A tough contest will be witnessed between sitting AGP MLA and now BJP nominee Padma Hazarika and Congress contestant Praneswar Basumatary in Sootea Assembly constituency of Assam on April 4, where election campaign will come to a close this evening.

While the BJP candidate is banking in on the AGP-BJP alliance, Congress is wooing voters mostly on issues of developmental works and alleged corruption during Hazarika's previous terms as AGP MLA.

Hazarika is facing a tough challenge this time with Congress presenting an assessment of the former's performance during his long stint in the constituency.

The seat was dominated by Hazarika, who recently joined the saffron party, for three terms. He first won in 1996, followed by a defeat in 2001 by his current rival Basumatary before he regained Sootea in 2006 and 2011 as an AGP nominee.

A section of voters of the Assembly segment, however, claimed that though Hazarika represented Sootea for three terms, the legislator "could not do any noticeable developmental work despite crores of rupees being allotted for the purpose in the constituency".

On the contrary, some of them felt, Basumatary during a single term as MLA could implement many developmental projects in the constituency, including road communication and electrification in many remote rural areas under the Rajib Gandhi Rural electrification project.

The voters from different communities who were earlier divided on the issue of whom to vote, have now decided to elect a candidate who brings development to the constituency.