Assam Assembly election 2021, Chabua profile: CAA likely to play significant factor in town rocked by 2019 violence

The Chabua Assembly constituency, which was one of the epicentres of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in 2019, is currently held by BJP MLA Binod Hazarika. The town, which is also the hometown of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, saw chaos on 12 December, 2019, when protesters vandalised several public properties and also set fire to Hazarika’s residence. The BJP will not be contesting from the Chabua seat in the upcoming Assembly election, but has given it to its ally, Asom Gana Parisad (AGP), in their seat-sharing arrangement. The AGP has fielded Punkaon Baruah as the NDA candidate. “While the intensity of the anti-CAA movement may have watered down, the CAA issue will definitely be a factor in deciding the fate of the candidates contesting from the Chabua Assembly seat this time,” The Times of India reported. The constituency falls under the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha segment and is part of the Dibrugarh district.

Voter turnout in previous elections

There are a total number of 1,35,872 registered voters in the Chabua constituency, of which 69,112 are men and 66,760 are women. The constituency registered a voter turnout of 85.42 percent in the 2016 Assembly election, while in the 2011 election, the voter turnout was 72.49 percent.

Past election results and winners

Hazarika won the seat in the 2016 polls by garnering 69,351 votes or 59.76 percent of the vote share. The runner-up was the Congress’ Raju Sahu Ghosh, who won 38,597 votes or 33.26 percent of the vote share. In 2011, Sahu had won the seat with 38,576 votes and had defeated Hazarika with a margin of 11,108 votes. Hazarika had secured 27,468 votes. The Assam Assembly polls will be held to elect a total of 126 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Polling dates:

Elections in Assam are being held in three phases between 27 March and 6 April. The first phase of the Assembly election will take place on 27 March in 47 constituencies, whereas polling in the second phase will see 39 constituencies going to vote on 1 April. The third and final phase will take place on 6 April with 40 constituencies going to polls.