In preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting in Delhi on Thursday. The meeting commenced at 10:30 pm and was attended by BJP president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Organisation General Secretary BL Santosh, chief ministers, state presidents, in-charges, co-incharges, and election in-charges from various states.
According to a report by News18, the BJP leadership discussed Lok Sabha seats for approximately 17 states and finalized names for over 155 seats. The official list is expected to be released in the coming days.
Notably, discussions during the meeting included considerations for 11 seats in Assam, where Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Rameshwar Teli were prominent contenders.
Sources revealed to News18 that Sarbananda Sonowal, former Assam chief minister, will likely contest from the Dibrugarh constituency. This move implies that the incumbent BJP MP, Rameswar Teli, may not be nominated.
Sonowal's popularity in Upper Assam and previous victory in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Dibrugarh on an Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) ticket bolster his candidacy.
Why BJP is considering a fresh face in Dibrugarh
The prospect of fielding Sarbananda Sonowal arises amidst discontent among the electorate of Dibrugarh. Reports indicate approximately 200 individuals from Jokai Mohabir Tea Estate protested against Rameswar Teli for alleged neglect and failure to address their concerns.
They said that most of the roads in tea garden areas had been developed while their area remained neglected, The Sentinel, a local daily, reported. Villagers cited disparities in development projects, fostering a call for a new representative in the upcoming polls.
A few local reports claimed that the discontent among the Dibrugarh electorate has created space for other parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, which introduced Manoj Dhanowar as their candidate, Dhanowar has reportedly engaged with the tea garden communities and promised to address the longstanding issues, should he get elected.
What next for Rameshwar Teli
Rameshwar Teli, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Labour and Employment, faces uncertainty regarding his candidature. Teli was a two-time MLA between 2001 and 2011 from the Duliajan seat which falls under the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency.
Previously elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 and 2019, Teli's political future hinges on developments in the constituency and the party's strategic decisions.
