The BJP has selected two long-time loyalists as their candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections in Assam.
Given the ruling party’s strong numerical advantage, the opposition has opted not to field candidates for the two vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha from Assam.
The BJP's chosen candidates are former Union Minister Rameshwar Teli and ex-MLA Mission Ranjan Das.
Rameshwar Teli, a seasoned BJP member, has previously served as an Assembly representative from Duliajan, securing victories in the 2001 and 2006 elections. He held the seat until 2011 when he lost to Amiya Gogoi amid a significant Congress wave. Teli then contested the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and won decisively against Congress leader and former minister Paban Singh Ghatowar. He served as the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries from 2019 to 2020 and held additional ministerial roles in Petroleum and Natural Gas, as well as Labour and Employment, from 2021 to 2024. Despite being overlooked for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in favor of Sarbananda Sonowal, Teli supported Sonowal’s campaign enthusiastically. It was anticipated that Teli would secure a Rajya Sabha seat following Sonowal’s move to the Lok Sabha.
Mission Ranjan Das, a prominent Bengali leader and a four-time BJP MLA from Karimganj district, is the other candidate. Das served in the Assembly during a period when the BJP had limited influence in the state. He was defeated by Congress candidate Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha in both the 2011 and 2016 Assembly elections. Although he sought a ticket in the 2021 Assembly elections, he was not granted one. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he expressed a desire to run but was not selected.
The BJP’s strong support base among Bengali voters in the Barak Valley region had created a demand for a Hindu Bengali candidate for the Rajya Sabha. Despite this, no leader from this area has previously been elected to the Upper House on a BJP ticket.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma extended his congratulations to the party's Rajya Sabha candidates, stating on X, “I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Shri Mission Ranjan Das and Shri @Rameswar_Teli, both exemplary choices to represent Assam in the upcoming Rajya Sabha Elections. Their distinguished service to society and unwavering commitment to strengthening our organization make them outstanding candidates.”
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