Assam Assembly election 2021, Mariani profile: Sitting Congress MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi eyes return

**Mariani Assembly Election 2021 |**The Mariani Assembly constituency was won by the Congress’ Rupjyoti Kurmi in the 2016 election. The constituency falls under the Jorhat Lok Sabha segment and is part of the Jorhat district. The Mariani constituency is expected to go to the polls on 27 March as part of the  first phase  of the 2021 Assam Assembly election. Counting of votes will take place on 2 May. As per the Election Commission website, there are three candidates in the fray from Mariani – sitting MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi of the Congress, Ramani Tanti of the BJP, and Gopal Chandra Ghatuwar of the Asom Songrami Mancha (Asom). Jailed anti-CAA activist Akhil Gogoi had filed his nomination from the Mariani seat as an Independent candidate. However, as per the Election Commission website, Gogoi has withdrawn his nomination from Mariani. Gogoi, who recently formed his own party named Raijor Dal, is now contesting only from the Sibsagar constituency as an Independent candidate. Gogoi has been jailed for more than a year after the NIA booked him on charges of sedition. Meanwhile, sitting MLA Kurmi was quoted by Northeast Now as saying that he felt that he was capable of becoming the next Assam chief minister if his party won the 2021 election. “I am confident that Congress will form the next government in Assam in 2021. Hence, I feel that the next chief minister should be someone from the tea-garden area. I know the issues and I am confident enough of solving the same as well. Hence, I feel I am capable of becoming the chief minister and lead the state,” he said to a local channel, according to the report. However, the BJP has also expressed confidence about winning the Mariani constituency. Assam BJP chief Ranjit Dass reportedly claimed that “voters in Upper Assam were upset with the Congress for aligning with minority-based AIUDF and it would help the BJP in at least eight seats such as Mariani, Golaghat, Sarupathar, Nazira, Titabor, Sivasagar, Doom Dooma, and Naoboicha,” The New Indian Express reported.

Voter turnout in previous elections

There are a total number of 1,06,473 registered voters in the Mariani constituency, of which 54,156 are men and 52,559 are women. The voter turnout in the 2016 Assembly election was 85.22 percent. Meanwhile, in the 2011 election, the voter turnout was 73.05 percent.

Past election results and winners

The sitting MLA, Rupjyoti Kurmi, won the seat in the 2016 polls by garnering 36,701 votes or 40.53 percent of the vote share. The runner-up was the NCP’s Alok Kumar Ghosh, who won 34,908 votes or 38.55 percent of the vote share. Kurmi had also won the seat in the 2011 election, with 35,754 votes against Ghose, who had won 28,696 votes. However, in 2011, Ghosh contested on the Trinamool Congress’ ticket. The Assam Assembly polls will be held to elect a total of 126 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).