Assam MP eyes third term, contests from Valmiki Nagar in Bihar

GUWAHATI: Naba Kumar Sarania, a two-time Lok Sabha MP representing Kokrajhar constituency in Assam, is now vying for his third consecutive term in the Lower House.

However, this time, he is contesting from the Valmiki Nagar constituency in Bihar.

After his nomination from Kokrajhar in Assam was rejected, Sarania, a former ULFA militant, filed his nomination from Valmiki Nagar in Bihar on May 06.

The former militant, whose candidacy here has been approved after scrutiny, has already initiated his campaign in the constituency.

Valmiki Nagar, like Kokrajhar in Assam, is home to a substantial population of tribals and Dalits.

“Valmiki Nagar shares a lot of similarities with my constituency. After being ruled out of Kokrajhar race, I was deluged with offers to contest from Valmiki Nagar seat as people here are fed up with the NDA and same set of opposition leaders. Therefore, they want me to uproot the existing political syndicate here, which coincidentally happens to be the constituency number one in our country,” Sarania was quoted as saying by HT.

He won the Lok Sabha elections from Kokrajhar in Assam as an Independent candidate in 2014 and subsequently established a political party — the Gana Suraksha Party — after securing re-election in 2019.

Suspecting foul play behind the cancellation of his nomination, the MP from Assam remarked, “It appears to be a manoeuvre orchestrated by the ruling NDA to shield its candidate from facing defeat once again.”