Sonitpur (Assam), 19 March (HS): With polling for the Assam Assembly elections scheduled on April 9, political activities have intensified across the state. In this context, election momentum has picked up in the Tezpur Assembly constituency, located in Sonitpur district, one of the prominent cultural hubs of central Assam.

Following the recent delimitation of constituencies, new political equations have emerged in the region. Portions of the earlier Tezpur constituency have now been merged with neighbouring assembly segments. Areas stretching from Tezpur town to parts near the Jia Bharali River have been included in the Nauduar constituency. The restructured constituency now shares boundaries with Rangapara and Barchala assembly segments, altering its electoral dynamics.

At present, the Tezpur seat is represented by Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) MLA Prithviraj Rabha and he is likely to contest again as the party’s candidate. Meanwhile, the Raijor Dal has fielded Alak Nath from Tezpur, a move considered unexpected as he had earlier expressed interest in contesting from Barchala.

The Tezpur constituency comprises 19 municipal wards and has a total electorate of 1,80,885 voters, with 225 polling stations, as per the latest revision. The constituency holds immense cultural and historical significance, being associated with stalwarts like Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, Natasurya Phani Sharma and Sudhakantha Dr. Bhupen Hazarika.

Politically, Tezpur has long been regarded as a stronghold of regionalism, particularly of the AGP. After the historic Assam Movement, AGP’s Brindaban Goswami was elected as the first MLA from the constituency in 1985. He went on to win multiple terms, making him one of the longest-serving MLAs from the seat. The Congress briefly regained the seat in 1991 with Bijit Saikia, while Rajen Borthakur won in 2011. In 2021, Prithviraj Rabha, son of cultural icon Bishnu Prasad Rabha, secured victory and currently represents the constituency.

As the election approaches, Tezpur continues to be a politically significant seat, reflecting the enduring influence of regional forces, with AGP maintaining a strong foothold in the constituency.-----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash