Assam: Congress' Pradyut Bordoloi retains Nagaon

Guwahati, Jun 4 (PTI) Sitting Congress MP from Assam's Nagaon constituency Pradyut Bordoloi on Tuesday retained his seat by defeating BJP first-timer Suresh Bora by a margin of 2,12,231 votes, according to the Election Commission.

Bordoloi bagged 7,88,850 votes against Bora's 5,76,619, the EC website said.

"This is a big victory for the people and Congress. I express my deep gratitude to the people of my constituency. I am grateful to all those who came forward and supported me during the campaign period," Bordoloi said while addressing his supporters after the results were declared.

There were a total of 13 candidates in the fray in Nagaon, including AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam who came third with 1,37,340 votes.

The Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency became a Muslim majority seat after delimitation by the EC last year. Out of a total electorate of 18.17 lakh, there are over 10.5 lakh Muslim voters in Nagaon constituency.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Bordoloi had won by a margin of 16,752 votes against BJP's Rupak Sharma.

In Lok Sabha, he is a member of several committees like the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas, Rules Committee and the Consultative Committee on Ministry of Power and New and Renewable Energy.

The senior Congress leader was a member of the Assam state legislature for four consecutive terms since 1998 and a cabinet minister of the Tarun Gogoi Government for 15 years.

Bordoloi as a state minister held various portfolios such as Home, Finance, Power, Industries & Commerce, Education and Environment & Forest.

Passionate about wildlife and biodiversity conservation, especially in the Northeast, Bordoloi was the first politician in India to be awarded the prestigious Venu Menon National Animal Welfare Award for Leadership in Conservation.

A graduate of Economics from Cotton College in Guwahati, he went on to complete his M.A. and M.Phil from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. PTI TR TR MNB