Jailed activist Akhil Gogoi to contest Assam elections from Sibsagar

Jailed peasant leader Akhil Gogoi will contest the upcoming Assam assembly elections from the Sibsagar constituency as a candidate of his newly-floated Raijor Dal.

Jailed activist Akhil Gogoi will contest the upcoming Assam assembly elections from the Sibsagar constituency as a candidate of his newly-floated Raijor Dal.

The party on Saturday announced 17 candidates for the first two phases of Assam assembly elections.

Gogoi, a peasant leader, is in jail since December 2019 in connection with a National Investigation Agency (NIA) case for his role in the anti-CAA protests in Assam. He was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Raijor Dal was launched as a political outfit in October last year in Guwahati. Assam will go to the polls in three phases beginning March 27.

The BJP had scripted history in Assam in the last assembly polls and won an absolute majority with its allies, defeating Congress which had been in power in the state for 15 years.

BJP had bagged 60 seats, AGP 14, and BPF 12 seats in the last assembly polls.

( With inputs from ANI )