Guwahati, 26 February (HS): As the sixteenth Assam Legislative Assembly elections draw closer, political activity has intensified across constituencies following the recent delimitation exercise. Among the 126 Assembly segments that witnessed significant boundary changes, the 37 No. Jalukbari constituency has once again emerged as one of the most keenly watched seats in the state.
Jalukbari, a prominent constituency in Kamrup Metropolitan district, has been represented five consecutive times by the current Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has established a strong electoral base in the seat. After delimitation, the constituency has undergone extensive changes, incorporating areas from the erstwhile West Guwahati segment. It now includes parts of Guwahati Municipal Corporation wards 1 to 10 and 13, covering localities such as Garigaon, Jalukbari, Padumbari, Gauhati University, Sundarbari, Pandu, Maligaon and large portions of Goshala area along with parts of Boragaon and Fatasil. The constituency also includes Rani Development Block and areas under the North Guwahati Municipal Board.
According to the draft electoral roll released for the upcoming elections, Jalukbari has a total of 2,10,624 voters. Of them, 1,00,407 are male voters, 1,10,209 are female voters and 8 belong to the third gender category, indicating a higher number of female voters in the constituency. The number of polling stations has also been increased from 222 to 247 to facilitate smoother voting.
Historically, Jalukbari has been represented by various political parties and even independent candidates. After its establishment, independent candidate Shailen Medhi won the seat in 1967. The constituency later saw representation from the Congress, Janata Party and Asom Gana Parishad at different times. Notably, Bhrigu Kumar Phukan represented the seat as an Independent in 1985 and later as an AGP candidate in 1991 and 1996.
Since 2001, however, the political narrative of Jalukbari has largely revolved around Himanta Biswa Sarma. He first won the seat in 2001 as a Congress candidate and retained it in 2006 and 2011. After switching to the BJP, he secured victories again in 2016 and 2021. Although he was defeated by Bhrigu Kumar Phukan in 1996, Sarma avenged the loss in 2001 and has remained electorally unchallenged in the constituency ever since, continuing an uninterrupted winning streak spanning over two decades.---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash
