BJP fields 3 new faces & former Cong MLA for Assembly bypolls

The ruling BJP on Sunday named three new faces and a former Congress MLA for the bypolls in four Assembly constituencies in Assam.

The Central Election Committee of the BJP cleared the four names for Assam, which will go for the bypolls on October 21, a party statement said.

For the Ratabari, Jania and Sonari seats, the BJP has fielded first timers Bijay Malakar, Towfiqur Rahman and Nabanita Handique respectively.

Former Congress MLA Rajen Borthakur, who joined the BJP, has been given ticket by the saffron party to contest from the Rangapara Assembly constituency.

Out of the four seats, three were captured by the ruling BJP, while the Congress had bagged one during the 2016 Assembly elections in the state.

The seats fell vacant as BJP MLAs - Kripanath Mallah (Ratabari), Pallab Lochan Das (Rangapara) and Topon Kumar Gogoi (Sonari) - and Congress legislator Abdul Khaleque (Jania) resigned from the Assembly after winning the Lok Sabha election.