Election Results: Teli, Tasa floor Congress stalwarts

DIBRUGARH/JORHAT: BJP's Rameshwar Teli and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa have emerged as giant killers in this Lok Sabha election.
BJP candidate Rameshwar Teli defeated Congress heavyweight and Union DoNER minister Paban Singh Ghatowar in Dibrugarh by a mammoth margin of over 1.85 lakh votes. In the neighbouring Jorhat constituency, BJP candidate and tea tribe leader Kamakhya Prasad Tasa defeated six-time Congress MP and former Union minister Bijoy Krishna Handique by more than 1.15 lakh votes.
Tasa achieved the feat in his third attempt. Jorhat is also the home district of chief minister Tarun Gogoi.
Teli (43), a two-time legislator from Duliajan, is known as an honest man. He lives in a modest kutcha house at Tipling Puranaghat near Duliajan town in Dibrugarh district with his mother and younger brother. His father, who was a driver, died a few years ago. Locals say that even after being elected MLA twice, Teli never took advantage of his position. Even today, two of his uncles, who stay in the same house, eke out a living by pulling carts.
Teli joined BJP in 2000 and contested the assembly polls from Duliajan for the first time in 2001. In 2006, he made it to the assembly twice in a row. In 2011, he lost the assembly election to his Congress rival.
Soon after his victory, an elated Teli said he would work hard for the welfare of people and try to fulfill their aspirations. "I thank the people of Dibrugarh for giving me this magnificent victory. It is a mandate against corruption, misgovernance and dynastic politics of Congress. It is the victory of the people," said Teli.
BJP party workers celebrated the victory by beating drums and bursting crackers near the counting centre. Enthusiastic supporters raised victory slogans and garlanded Teli. For Ghatowar, this was the second defeat in his political career since he made his debut from Dibrugarh as an MP in 1991. He had tasted his first defeat in 2004. In 2009, Ghatowar managed to wrest Dibrugarh and was made the Union minister of state (Independent charge), development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), in July, 2011.
In Jorhat, BJP workers celebrated Tasa's win. Tasa said, "At last, the mandate is in our favour. I thanked all the voters and BJP workers for my victory. This has happened due to the great leadership of Narendra Modi and his commitment to the nation. The misrule of Congress, both at the Centre and the state, added fuel to our success."
Tasa then added, "Being the home district of the chief minister, it was not easy to win the Jorhat seat. There is a diversity of population in caste, community and religion here. But people gave us unprecedented support increasing our responsibility."
As soon as the results were declared, thousands of BJP workers hits the streets in Jorhat town holding party flags. Jubilant workers celebrated the party's triumph through Bihu dance and distribution of sweets.