Pramila Rani Brahma

Kokrajhar, March 24: The BPF candidate from Kokrajhar East, Pramila Rani Brahma, today expressed her dissatisfaction over the Congress’s decision to field a candidate against her, despite the fact that she had backed out of the Dispur seat on its request.

Speaking to reporters after filing her nomination at the Kokrajhar deputy commissioner’s office today, Brahma, vying to retain Kokrajhar East for the fifth consecutive time, said: “Despite huge public demand I have given up the idea to contest from Dispur on chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s request, as a senior Congress minister is contesting from there. We were also expecting the same from the Congress in my constituency, Kokrajhar East. But they went ahead and pitted a candidate against me.”

The Congress has fielded Rajeshwar Brahma from the constituency.

The minister, however, said neither the Congress nor any other party is a factor for her. “I have the mandate of the public who will see me through for the fifth time,” she said.

On the other hand, the Congress candidate, too, expressed his confidence. “The Congress will go it alone. We don’t have any alliance with other parties,” said Rajeshwar Brahma.

Apart from the Congress and BPF, BPPF candidate Kishore Basumatary also filed his nomination from the seat today. Escorted by party president Rabiram Nazary and adviser Urkhao Gwra Brahma, who is also the party candidate from Kokrajhar West, Kishore Basumatary said the public knows best whom to vote for. “I don’t need to elaborate on the work done by Pramila Rani Brahma who has been the local MLA for the past 20 years and a minister for the past 5 years. The public knows what she did for the constituency,” he said.

Others who filed nomination papers before the returning officer at Kokrajhar DC office today included Supriya Rani Brahma (Congress), Maoti Brahma Hazowary (BPPF) and Tapan Mushahary (BJP) — all from Sidli.

At Gossaigaon, three candidates, including Chrisostom Tudu (Congress) and Rajendra Mushahary of UDPF, filed nomination from Gossaigaon, while Pradip Kumar Brahma of Trinamul Congress filed nomination from Kokrajhar West before the returning officer at the Gossaigaon sub-divisional officer’s office.