Gaurav Gogoi will get tough resistance from BJP in Jorhat

The dismay of Gaurav is that he had been actively preparing his battle from Nagaon, as per the sources are concerned.

Digital Desk: The Congress party in Assam seems more confident than anticipated by political analysts. The new candidate list for Assam signals to their allies that the grand old party does not need alliances to win elections in Assam.

Gaurav Gogoi’s participation from Jorhat sparked debate among the aspiring candidates from Jorhat. The immediate effect of his announcement as the candidate for the constituency led to the resignation of APCC General Secretary Suruj Dihingia. Suruj was expecting his candidature from the constituency. 

For the last two Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won the Jorhat constituency with a respectful margin. In 2014, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa got 48.99 votes and 51.35 votes from Topon Kumar Gogoi. However, the Congress secured 38.00 per cent and 43.54 per cent in 2014 and 2019, respectively.

Meanwhile, the 2019 Congress MP candidate from Jorhat, Sushanta Borgohain, became MLA from Thowra constituency and later joined the BJP in 2021 after winning the election under the Congress banner the same year. 

As the BJP selected the incumbent MP as their candidate, the fight between the most popular Congress leader in Assam, Gaurav Gogoi, and the BJP’s Topon Kumar Gogoi is going to be a tough fight for both candidates.

The dismay of Gaurav is that he had been actively preparing his battle from Nagaon, as per the sources are concerned. However, Topon being the incumbent, anti-incumbency is also a major factor if addressed by the opposition.

Let us check out their performances as Members of Parliament to see who is an able candidate:

Parliament attendance: Topon has a staggering 82 per cent attendance, with a good average attendance in all the sessions except Monsoon Session 2020.

Gaurav’s attendance remains below 80 per cent, with 76 per cent overall attendance. Unlike Topon, he attended all the sessions with good attendance per cent.

Debates: Gaurav Gogoi participated in 78 debates in various sessions. His debate subjects were dynamic, starting from the Ram Mandir issue to the need to promote sports in India. However, Topon, despite his good attendance, participated in only 11 debates. Topon’s less participation doesn't mean his failure because his debates were development-focused, covering topics ranging from the development of iconic tourism sites in Sivasagar to roads and education in his constituency. 

Questions: Gaurav Gogoi asked 245 questions, and Topon Gogoi asked only 9 questions. 

However, asking questions or participating in debates tells about the candidate’s active status and is not an endorsement of good performance in the field. 

As Topon was preparing and battling for the development of the constituencies during his tenure, Gaurav will face tough resistance from the BJP in Jorhat. However, the mandate will tell what the future of Jorhat is going to be.