With the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 19, 2025, political activities in Assam have intensified as parties gear up for the contest. The terms of Rajya Sabha MPs Birendra Prasad Baishya (AGP) and Mission Ranjan Das (BJP) are set to conclude on June 14, prompting strategic moves among political parties to secure the two available seats.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to contest one of the two seats while allocating the other to its ally, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). In preparation for the election, the BJP held a crucial meeting on Tuesday night at its state headquarters, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in Basistha, Guwahati. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP president Dilip Saikia, state in-charge Harish Dwivedi, state organizing general secretary Ravindra Raju, and members of the election committee.
During the meeting, the BJP finalized a list of 13 candidates for the single seat it will contest. This list has been forwarded to the party’s national committee in New Delhi for the final decision. Chief Minister Sarma, addressing the media after the meeting, stated, “In the context of the upcoming Rajya Sabha election, the state BJP has decided to allocate one seat to AGP. For the other seat, 13 aspirants have applied, and we have decided to forward all 13 applications to the national committee.”
The list of shortlisted candidates includes prominent names such as former Guwahati MP Queen Oja, former Silchar MP Dr. Rajdeep Roy, current Rajya Sabha MP Mission Ranjan Das, former Union Minister Rajen Gohain, Sunita Changkakati, Pradeep Thakuria, Sanjeev Goswami, Dayanand Borgohain, Vijay Kumar Gupta, Mridula Barkakati, Bhaskar Dahal, Kanad Purkayastha, and Bishwaroop Bhattacharya.
As the election date approaches, the BJP’s national committee will now review the applications and announce the final candidate. The decision will play a pivotal role in shaping Assam’s representation in the Rajya Sabha, with both the BJP and AGP aiming to strengthen their positions in the Upper House.