Tinsukia: Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) candidate Jagadish Bhuyan on Friday visited the iconic Bhupen Hazarika Setu along with his daughter, underscoring his association with the project ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. The 9.15-km-long bridge, India’s longest over a river, has significantly improved connectivity in Upper Assam. Bhuyan described it as a project that originated from his initiative during his tenure as MLA and has now become a vital lifeline for the region. In a social media post, he said the bridge “connects two shores, opens doors to education, trade, healthcare and progress.”
The Sadiya constituency is heading towards a multi-cornered contest, with BJP candidate Bolin Chetia, Bhuyan representing AJP, and three independent candidates in the fray. The visit comes in the run-up to the April 9 Assembly polls, with counting scheduled for May 4. Located at the edge of the Brahmaputra plains near the Arunachal Pradesh border, Sadiya holds strategic importance. Key issues in the constituency include flood and erosion control, border security, preservation of historical sites, protection of natural resources, as well as concerns related to education, employment, and women’s empowerment.
Also Read: Himanta Biswa Sarma Addresses Bijni Rally Amid Rain, Projects NDA Sweep in BTC
Bhuyan, a former student leader associated with the Assam Movement, began his political journey with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in 1995. He was elected MLA from Sadiya in 1996 and re-elected in 2001, besides serving as Tourism Minister from 1998 to 2001. He later played a key role in proposing the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge project to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2003. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had acknowledged Bhuyan’s contribution during the bridge’s inauguration in 2017.
Bhuyan later joined the BJP in 2015 but resigned in 2019 over the Citizenship Amendment Act, subsequently becoming a key leader in AJP. In the 2021 Assembly elections, he contested from Sadiya and finished third. As campaigning intensifies, Bhuyan’s role in the bridge project is emerging as a key plank in his development-focused pitch to voters in the flood-prone and border-sensitive constituency.
