Death knell for Cong in Dispur?

GUWAHATI: A man was overheard telling his wife in Ganeshguri open market on Monday evening as a drizzle threatened to send the people scuttling home: "If it rains till April 11 (the date of the second phase polls) the sitting MLAs will face a tough contest in our city." Even as he said this, the drizzle turned into a downpour and he then urged his wife to hurry back to their Zoo Road residence before the rain inundated the roads and caused waterlogging.
Come election time and dialogues such as these are commonly heard in the city. They reflect the fact that the state of civic amenities and communication infrastructure mainly decide the fate of candidates gearing up to contribute four seats to the 126-member state assembly.
Dispur is no exception and infrastructure development is a major matter for concern here as well. Centering round this issue, a question that is being asked by voters just ahead of the second phase of polls is: Could this election mean the end of the Congress's rule in Dispur constituency? The voters of Dispur have elected Congress leaders for the last two consecutive terms. After Captain Robin Bordoloi in 2001, cabinet minister Akon Bora won the seat in 2006. "Perhaps this time the election is tougher. But, I have been working among the people as a social worker and not as a politician, so I have their support" said Akon Bora.
This time, Bora is facing tough competition from AGP candidate Atul Bora, who had won from Dispur many times earlier since his party formed the government in 1985. In 2006, Atul Bora, who was then with the Trinamool Ganaparishad (TGP), had lost the polls by a mere 813 votes. After Akon Bora won, Atul Bora filed a petition in Gauhati High Court alleging that the returning officer had declared the results without including the ballots of two polling stations.
Although the high court ordered a repoll at these two stations, the Supreme Court issued a stay order on the matter in August 2010. Foreseeing a tough contest this time as well with AGP candidate Atul Bora, the minister has been trying hard to woo voters by playing his development card. "I was elected for only one term. I did many things during the last five years for the people of Dispur that was not done in previous terms," said Akon Bora.
He added if he came to power again, he would facilitate land pattas and ensure pure drinking water is supplied to every part of Dispur. These promises, however, don't seem to be cutting any ice with the voters of this constituency, who are asking why has their representative waited so long to solve these problems despite being the social welfare minister?
Atul Bora, meanwhile, is also contesting the election on the rural development plank. "People seek development in areas that have not seen any improvement for decades. Atul Bora holds a special position in our hearts," said an elderly voter of Sonapur, adding he had taken part in the Assam Agitation along with Bora. His words leave little doubt the voter and his ilk will support the AGP in the election.
On the other hand, some voters in the rural pockets of Dispur said they have remained deprived of the development schemes implemented by the Congress in the last ten years. "Robin did nothing and Akon, too, could not fulfill our dreams. He undertook some welfare schemes, but his success rate is very low. Take a look at the area we live in and the school here and you will see it is untouched by any development schemes," said a school teacher of Khetry.
The CPM, too, is in the fray and has been engaged in making voters aware of the rampant corruption prevalent under the current government. The party is promising it will fight corruption and so they should vote for them. "Although there has been some development in the infrastructure of the city, corruption has hindered the progress of rural areas. Most of the voters in Dispur constituency are literate, so they can see the difference themselves," said Biren Sharma, the CPM candidate from Dispur.
Speculating a long-term gain from Dispur, the BJP has fielded a tribal candidate Ranjit Ragang. "Although Ranjit is not so well known in urban Dipur, he may get a fair amount of support in the rural tribal areas of the constituency," said Jitendra Mohan Sarma, a senior teacher of Khetry area.