Many BJP Mlas To Be Denied Tickets For Assam Polls: CM Sarma

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday that several sitting MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state are likely to be denied tickets in the upcoming Assembly elections, with the party leadership opting for a mix of new faces, women, and young candidates.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Chief Minister Sarma indicated that the BJP is set to contest 89 out of the 126 Assembly seats in Assam, while leaving 26 seats for its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and 11 seats for the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seat-sharing arrangement.

He added that the BJP's candidate list is expected to be announced on Wednesday, following the concluding of key meetings of the party's central election committee in the national capital.

"The party has undertaken a detailed review of the performance of its sitting MLAs, and in several Assembly constituencies, we have decided to introduce new candidates. There will be a conscious effort to ensure adequate representation of women and youth in the candidate list," CM Sarma said.

The Chief Minister added that the selection process was guided by feedback from grassroots party workers, organisational considerations, and winnability factors, suggesting that merit and performance have been prioritised over incumbency.

Sources in the party said that the move to drop some sitting legislators is aimed at countering anti-incumbency and injecting fresh energy into the party's campaign ahead of the state polls.

The BJP had emerged as the single largest party in the 2021 Assam Assembly elections and subsequently formed the government in the state with its allies AGP and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL).

The BJP is now aiming to retain power with a historic mandate.

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