SILCHAR: BJP-led NDA won 34 of the 42 wards in the first Silchar Municipal Corporation election on Tuesday, securing a clear majority in the newly constituted civic body.BJP won 30 of the 40 wards that went to the polls on Oct 3, taking its tally to 32 after its candidates, Bijendra Prasad Singh from Ward 9 and Bhakti Sen Talukdar from Ward 20, were elected unopposed. BJP’s ally, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), won two wards. Congress won two, while Independents secured six.Counting began at 8 am at ISBT complex in Ramnagar amid tight security. The counting process was conducted across seven halls with 98 tables. A total of 133 candidates were in the fray, according to reports.Among the close contests, Congress candidate Sakshi Banik won Ward 30 by 135 votes. In another close contest, Congress’s Rajashree Goala defeated BJP candidate Debasmita Nath by 49 votes.The six Independents elected were Hasim Uddin Barbhuiya from Ward 1, Dhrubojyoti Das from Ward 19, Hanifa Khanam Barbhuiya from Ward 24, Lovely Begum Mazumder from Ward 25, Shampa Deb Roy Dhar from Ward 29 and Bishutosh Nag from Ward 42.Reacting to the verdict, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked Silchar voters, saying the mandate reflected their faith in “development, good governance and Seva”. The BJP said the NDA’s 34-seat tally reflected public confidence in its focus on development, connectivity and governance.Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia said the verdict should be viewed not merely as an electoral victory but as a responsibility to improve civic infrastructure, roads, drainage, urban planning and municipal services. He said the elected representatives would work with the state and central govts to accelerate Silchar’s development.BJP’s Chandrima Deb, who was elected from Ward 23, said tackling waterlogging and clogged drains in Bilpar and improving the supply of potable water would be among her priorities.The election marked the formation of Silchar’s first elected municipal corporation.
