Tarun Gogoi
Three-time Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi, 79, is looking for a fourth term. Having overcome an early rebellion within the ranks by his former confidant and now BJP’s campaign in-charge, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mr. Gogoi is counting on traditional voters of the Congress and hoping to exploit the differences between the BJP and the Asom Gana Parishad to see him through.
Sarbananda Sonowal
A former leader from the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Sarbananda Sonowal, 53, was a member of the Asom Gana Parishad till as late as 2011, before joining the BJP. He is the party’s chief ministerial candidate and its State unit chief. He has been credited with the party’s good showing in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, where it got seven out of 14 seats in the State.
Badruddin Ajmal
Referred to as a perfume baron (his family owns a prosperous business in perfumes), Mr. Ajmal, 66, founded the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) six months before the 2006 Assembly polls and bagged 10 seats on debut, improving it to 18 seats in 2011 thereby becoming the principal Opposition party. He founded the party “because the Congress betrayed us” and derives his strength from minority-dominated areas in the State, a belt of 35 seats.
Prafulla Mahanta & Atul Bora
The two leaders of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) are presiding over a dwindling voter base but are still significant as spoilers for the BJP. Mr. Mahanta, 64, two-time Chief Minister and president-emeritus of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), bargained hard with the BJP, as did Mr. Bora, acting president of the party, to finally settle for 24 seats. The party has decided to put up a “friendly fight” in seats that fall in the BJP’s share. Just to make sure they are not overlooked.
Himanta Biswa Sarma
The former Minister in the Tarun Gogoi government is the brain behind the BJP’s campaign in these polls. Mr. Sarma, 47, fell out with former mentor, Mr. Gogoi. over the issue of succession, with Mr. Gogoi not ready to give way to Mr Sarma, and preferring his son, Gaurav Gogoi (now MP from Guwahati), to him. A good organiser, Mr. Sarma took nine MLAs with him when he left the Congress.
