Greenhorn against warhorses in Dispur

Guwahati: The Left Front has pitted 26-year-old SFI leader Sangita Das against two political heavyweights - Akon Bora (a former Congress minister) and Atul Bora (an AGP founder who has now joined BJP) - in the prestigious Dispur seat in the assembly polls.
Banking on neither a huge campaign fund nor large-scale rallies, Sangita has been going door-to-door to garner votes in her support."It is the faith of the people that helps in winning an election," she said.
A postgraduate mass communication student from Gauhati University, Sangita has been involved in several student movements in the city for the last couple of years.
"Dispur is the capital of Assam. But civic woes have plagued the residents of the constituency, who are suffering because of lack of adequate municipal water, drainage system, land rights, proper roads in the interior areas as well as quality education and healthcare services for the people. If I win, my priority will be to ensure a visible change," said Sangita.
"The people have been subjected to the wrath of the administration for settling in the hill areas. Our party has been with the people of Dispur to save them from the bulldozer," she said.
The Dispur seat was a traditional AGP stronghold in the '80s and '90s with three-time Dispur MLA Atul Bora representing the constituency till 2001, when Congress under Tarun Gogoi came to power in Dispur. Akon Bora of Congress has been representing Dispur since 2006, but is facing a tough challenge this time from Atul Bora, who joined BJP in 2013.
A leader of the six-year long anti-foreigner's movement launched by AASU in Assam from 1979 to 1985, Atul Bora was a popular student leader and general secretary of the prestigious Cotton College. The former cabinet minister in AGP government joined BJP in 2013. "BJP has given me the platform to raise the issues plaguing the state prominently. All AGP workers are working together with BJP to ensure my win," he said.
Atul Bora's rivalry with Akon Bora began in 2006 assembly polls when he lost by a mere 813 votes.
After the battle of ballots, the two fought a legal battle spanning years as Atul Bora challenged Akon Bora's electoral victory. In the 2011 assembly election, Akon Bora comfortably beat Atul Bora with a margin of over 8,000 votes.
Akon Bora is an old loyal Congressman, who is known to be close to chief minister Tarun Gogoi. Akon Bora, who has been with the Congress even when the party has faced turmoil in the state, enjoyed the wide support of voters across Dispur constituency in the 2006 and 2011 assembly elections. His strength is his huge support base among the tribals and minorities.
CPM state committee member Loknath Adhikari said the decision to field Sangita is part of the party's strategy. "CPM's party plenum held in Kolkata last December resolved to give priority to the young faces in the organization's activities. We are hopeful that along with other states, it will yield fruitful results in Assam," Adhikari said.