BJP's Bijuli Kalita Medhi (L) and Congress' Mira Borthakur Goswami (R).
Credit: Sumir Karmakar/DH Photo
As the country prepares for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on May 7, the BJP and Congress will be seen in a major face-off for the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat in Assam.
BJP's Bijuli Kalita Medhi:
First as a student, then a teacher and later as a Deputy Mayor representing BJP in 2016, Bijuli Kalita Medhi has seen Guwahati, the biggest city in the Northeastern region and its problems.
The 45-year-old Kalita, who has maintained a low profile in BJP despite being in the party since 1998, however, seeks a big mark this time by winning the prestigious Guwahati Lok Sabha seat.
Kalita has been fielded as the BJP candidate replacing sitting MP, Queen Ojha, also a woman.
A postgraduate from Gauhati University and a former president of Mohila Morcha of the BJP and a vice-president of the party's Assam unit, Bijuli, is banking on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the work done by BJP to win her poll battle against Mira Borthakur Goswami of the Congress.
Goswami was her senior colleague in BJP till 2018. Medhi says that she is ready to carry BJP's bastion forward in Guwahati from former Union Minister Bijoya Chakraborty (elected thrice in 1999, 2009 and 2014) and Ojha in 2019.
Mira Borthakur Goswami of the Congress:
Since 1977, Guwahati has elected women to the Lok Sabha five times (Renuka Devi Borkotoki of the Janata Party, Bijoya Chakraborty and Queen Ojha of the BJP).
But this time, Goswami, a Congress candidate, backed by the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, is confident of becoming a trendsetter by becoming the first Congress woman to win the prestigious seat.
The 51-year-old Goswami joined Congress after being expelled from BJP for "anti-party activities" in 2018.
Goswami, who has been vocal against BJP over the CAA, and says that the people of Guwahati would vote against the "lies" and divisive politics practiced by BJP.
"Communities in Guwahati have lived peacefully. But they are fed up with BJP's poison of divisive politics. It's a battle to protect democracy and the Constitution and voters in Guwahati will give a fitting reply to BJP in this election," she said, recently.
Medhi and Goswami are the main contenders in the Guwahati constituency of Assam.