CPI(M) to contest Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur constituencies in Assam

The opposition CPI(M) on Thursday said it will contest in Kokrajhar and Lakhimpur constituencies out of the 14 seats during the Lok Sabha elections in Assam.

The party also declared the names of the candidates for the two constituencies.

CPI(M) Assam Committee secretary Deben Bhattacharyya said it will support the "strongest" secular candidates in other constituencies in order to defeat the BJP and its "communal" allies in the state.

In order to prevent division of anti-BJP votes, the party decided to contest only in two seats this time, he added.

Youth leader Biraj Deka will contest from the Kokrajhar seat, while retired college teacher and social activist Amiya Kumar Handique will be in the fray from Lakhimpur, Bhattacharyya said.

The Lakhimpur constituency has a total of 16.81 lakh voters, including 8.25 lakh women, polling for which will take place on April 11, during the first phase.

The Kokrajhar constituency, reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates, has 17.49 lakh voters, including 8.56 lakh women electorate. Polling for the seat will be held in the third phase on April 23.

Lakhimpur consists of nine assembly constituencies, while Kokrajhar comprises 10 assembly seats, of which seven fall under the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD).

During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(M) had contested from Barpeta, Tezpur and Silchar seats and lost all of them.