Kokrajhar(Assam), Mar 13 (PTI) The United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), an alliance partner of the BJP in Assam, on Wednesday nominated its MLA Joyanta Basumatary for the Kokrajhar (ST) seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Basumatary is an MLA from the Sidli constituency and a former vice president of All Bodo Students Union (ABSU).

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"The NDA alliance partner UPPL is very optimistic of winning the parliamentary elections in Kokrajhar as well as in all contesting constituencies in the state," UPPL Working President Rwngwra Narzary said.

The party and Basumatary are getting majority support in Kokrajhar cutting across the communities for the Lok Sabha elections, he claimed.

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The Kokrajhar constituency is currently represented by two-time MP Naba (Hira) Kumar Sarania. He is an Independent MP and is looking for a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha.

Opposition Congress on Tuesday named Garjan Mushahary as its candidate for the Kokrajhar (ST) seat. He was Chief Convener of People's Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement (PJACBM) and joined the grand old party in 2021. The PJACBM had spearheaded the movement for Bodoland state demand along with other groups.

Out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, the BJP named 11 candidates. The remaining three seats were left for allies -- two for AGP and one for UPPL.

The Congress announced candidates for 12 seats. It has offered Dibrugarh seat to alliance partner Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), while no decision has been taken yet on Lakhimpur constituency.

Opposition alliance's member CPI(M) is contesting one seat and AAP has fielded three candidates, while the CPI is considering contesting from a few seats in the state.

The BJP has nine MPs in the current Lok Sabha from the state, while its allies AGP and UPPL have no representation. The Congress holds three seats and the AIUDF one, while another is an Independent candidate.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)