Prime Minister Narendra Modi to campaign for candidate Sarbananda Sonowal

GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign for BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal who is contesting from Majuli.

Majuli River Island is centre of Vashnavite culture in Assam. Modi is also likely to address election meeting in chief minister Tarun Gogoi, s constituency of Titabor. Modi is also likely to visit to Barak Valley.

BJP spokesperson, Bijon Mahajan told ET, “Prime minister will be address election meeting in poll bound Assam. He is likely to visit Assam on March 24 or 25. He will address election meeting in Majuli.”

Sonowal on Wednesday filed nomination from this constituency; congress has given ticket to sitting MLA Rajib Lochan Pegu.

The constituency will witness triangular contest for Ganashakti party which has strong base in the area is also expected to contest the seat.

Talks of alliance between Congress and Ganashakti are yet to materialize.

Sonowal who is also the union minister of sports has been nursing this constituency and has awarded Majuli National Youth Festival which was held early this year. Recently Union minister for Road transport, highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari laid foundation stone of a bridge in Majuli.

In 2009 BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, L.K Advani had visited Majuli. Majuli is vying for UNESCO’s world heritage site, a tag which is remained elusive for this river for several years.

The island which has several Sattras (monasteries) is facing massive erosion problem. Available data indicate an erosion rate of 1.9 sq. km per year.

The island with a population of about 2 lakh once covered a prosperous 1,500 square km, now it is being reduced to 665 sq km.