Das nominated from Assam’s Tezpur

◗ Mr Das was elected from Rangapara constituency to the Assam Assembly in 2011 on a Congress ticket.

In what was expected, BJP nominated state minister Pallab Lochan Das as its candidate for Tezpur Lok Sabha seat denying ticket to sitting MP Ram Prasad Sharma. Later on Saturday, Mr Sharma announced to form a new political party — a new BJP of veteran party leaders.

Mr Sharma, who was camping in New Delhi for ticket, arrived on Saturday and said, “After Himanta Biswa Sarma joined BJP, the workers of the party started neglecting the veteran members of BJP. I will form a new party along with all the old members of BJP who didn’t get their due.”

Mr Das, who joined the saffron party along with finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and several other Congress leaders in 2016, holds the portfolios of labour ministry and tea tribe welfare in Assam.

Mr Das was elected from Rangapara constituency to the Assam Assembly in 2011 on a Congress ticket.

He was appointed minister of state (MoS) for power in the Sarbananda Sonowal-led government on the year of his joining the saffron party and was later accorded MoS (independent) charge of labour welfare, tea tribe welfare, and education departments in a reshuffle.

Mr Das has been pitted against Congress candidate MGVK Bhanu, a retired IAS officer, on Tezpur Lok Sabha seat which will go to polls in the first phase on April 11.

It is significant that three sitting MPs — Bijoya Chakraborty (Guwahati), Kamakhya Prasad Tasa (Jorhat), and Ramen Deka (Mangaldoi) — had fallen out of BJP’s first list. In its second list, the party has dropped two more MPs, including a minister of states Rajen Gohain and RP Sharma.

Mr Gohain, four-time BJP MP, was denied party ticket because of an FIR accusing him of rape charges.

On Saturday, the BJP central board nominated Nagaon MLA Rupak Sarma to contest the Nagaon LS elections.