Naba Kumar Sarania Files Nomination Despite Court Ruling on Tribal Status

Naba Kumar Sarania, the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Kokrajhar, has filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate for the upcoming elections, despite a recent Gauhati High court ruling that upheld an order dismissing his Scheduled Tribe (Plains) status. The court had declared Sarania ineligible to contest from any constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

Sarania, a former leader of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), had claimed he belonged to the Kachari community. He is the founder of the Gana Suraksha Party, which is a partner of the United People's Party Liberal and the BJP in the government of the Bodoland Territorial Council.

In response to the court's decision, Sarania said, "I respect the court's verdict, although it was not in my favor. I have already initiated steps to approach the court again." He expressed confidence that he will get a chance to contest the elections and win the Kokrajhar seat, stating that even if his nomination is canceled, one of the Gana Suraksha Party candidates will contest for the seat.

A total of 16 candidates, including Bodoland People's Front's Kampa Borgoyary, Kamtapur Peoples' Front's Triptina Rabha, and Binita Deka of Gana Sangram Parishad, have filed their nominations for the Kokrajhar seat, which will go to polls in the third phase on May 7. The scrutiny of the nominations will be done on Saturday, and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is April 22.

Why this matters: The Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat has been a contentious one, with various factions vying for representation in the region. The court's ruling on Sarania's tribal status and his decision to file his nomination despite it could have significant implications for the political landscape in the area.

The Bodoland People's Front (BPF) organized a massive public rally in support of their candidate Kampa Borgoyary, who filed his nomination for the Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat. BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary expressed confidence in the party's victory in Kokrajhar and the Darrang-Udalguri seat, stating that Sarania's nomination is likely to be cancelled during the scrutiny process. The Lok Sabha elections in Assam are scheduled to be held in two phases, with Kokrajhar going to the polls in the third phase on May 7, along with Guwahati, Barpeta, and Dhubri.

Key Takeaways

• Naba Kumar Sarania, Lok Sabha MP, filed nomination as independent despite court ruling.
• Court declared Sarania ineligible to contest from ST-reserved constituency due to tribal status.
• Sarania, a former ULFA leader, is the founder of Gana Suraksha Party, a BJP ally.
• 16 candidates, including BPF's Kampa Borgoyary, filed nominations for Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat.
• Kokrajhar seat is a contentious one, with political factions vying for representation in the region.