GUWAHATI: While the 2014 Lok Sabha (LS) elections voted for a change to topple the Congress Party that was in the Centre for two tenures (2004 to 2009, 2009 to 2014) and people voted for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), this time a majority of Guwahatians are planning to vote for whom they feel would be the best candidate.

“The irony of our country is that people do not vote for the candidate but for the political party. If the best candidates are evaluated and voted for in the entire country, the country will have the best leaders who will be instrumental in developing the country,” said a BJP state executive member under condition of anonymity.

He said, “I am not voting for Queen Ojha but I am voting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi because he is the best candidate.”

While some internal people of the BJP agree that the candidates should be given importance and not the party, the Congress Party feels that it has fielded the best candidate.



Sanju Baruah, spokesperson of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), talking to G Plus said, “Bobbeeta Sharma is the best candidate as she is qualified, culturally active and has done many things for the society.” Baruah feels that if people vote evaluating the background of all the candidates in fray in Guwahati, Sharma will surely win.

Though every political party will support its own candidate, Guwahatians are trying to study the manifestos of every candidate in fray.

Abhinava Singh, a city-based college student, talking to G Plus said, “I researched the background of Bobbeeta and Ojha but I am not impressed with either. I am trying to gather information about Upamanyu Hazarika now. If I don’t get a candidate whom I consider eligible I will press the NOTA button.”

Singh is a first time voter and along with him many of his friends have vowed to vote but only after evaluating the candidates’ backgrounds.

Even some business class voters of Guwahati feel that it should be the candidate people should vote for, and not the party.

A city-based businessman, Kedar Nath, talking to G Plus said, “I voted for BJP in 2014. No doubt Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister but I have also heard that the Gauhati Member of Parliament (MP) did not perform well during her tenure as the MP. This time I am wondering whom I should vote for as all the candidates are new and I do not know much about them.”

A total of 19 candidates have filed their nominations from the Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency which will go to polls in the third phase on 23rd April.



From the Gauhati seat, some of the prominent candidates include Bobbeeta Sharma from Congress, BJP’s Queen Ojha, Manoj Sharma from Trinamool Congress (TMC) and independent candidate, senior Supreme Court advocate, Upamanyu Hazarika.

Additionally, Bharatiya Gana Parishad's Dr Avijit Chakraborty, Swarna Bharat Party's Pankaj Das and Ratul Kumar Choudhury from Samajwadi Party have also filed their nominations.

Further, from among the lesser known political parties, Rajib Kakati has been fielded from Hindustan Nirman Dal, Partha Pratim Baruah from Voters’ Party International, Sadek Ali is contesting from Republican Party of India (A), Ranvijay Kumar Rai from Rashtriya Jansambhavna Party, Rubi Neog from National Republican Congress and Mamoni Sarma from Purvanchal Janta Party (Secular) have filed their nominations.



On the other hand, independent candidates include Faruk Ahmed Bhuyan, Junmoni Devi Khaund, Pranab Jyoti Das, Shankha Sinha, Utpal Borgohain and Alimuddin Ahmed.