Assam Assembly election 2021, Lahowal profile: BJP drops sitting MLA Rituparna Baruah from candidate list

The Lahowal Assembly constituency is currently held by the BJP’s Rituparna Baruah, who won 53.86 percent of the vote share in the 2016 election. The constituency falls under the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha segment and is part of the Dibrugarh district. However, the sitting MLA has not been named as a candidate for the seat by the saffron party for this election. Baruah is among eleven sitting MLAs who have not been given a ticket by the party for the upcoming polls, reports said. BJP MLA from Chabua, Binod Hazarika, will be fielded from Lahowal instead. The other MLAs who have been dropped from the candidates’ list are state minister Sum Ronghang (Diphu seat), Amar Chand Jain (Katigorah), Ashok Sarma (Nalbari), Joyram Engleng (Howraghat), Mansing Rongpi (Baithalangso), BB Hagjer (Haflong), Dilip Paul (Silchar), Kishore Nath (Barkhola), Debananda Hazarika (Bihpuria) and Nabanita Handique (Sonari), The Hindu reported. The three-phased elections for the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held on 27 March, 1 April and 6 April. Votes will be counted on 2 May.

Voter turnout in previous elections

There are a total number of 1,27,644 registered voters in the Lahowal constituency, of which 64,138 are men and 63,506 are women. The Lahowal constituency recorded a voter turnout of 85.87 percent in the 2016 Assembly election. Meanwhile, in the 2011 election, the voter turnout was 71.94 percent.

Past election results and winners

Incumbent MLA Rituparna Baruah won the seat in 2016 by garnering 57,637 votes. The runner-up was the Congress’ Prithibi Majhi, who won 40,763 votes or 39.09 percent of the vote share. Bismita Gogoi won the constituency in the 2011 election. She received 41,123 votes against the AGP candidate Upashana Gogoi, who won 22,734 votes. The Lahowal constituency is expected to go to polls in April or May 2021, as part of the 2021 Assam Assembly election. The Assam Assembly polls will be held to elect a total of 126 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs).