Finally, the final decision came from Delhi. After Sarbananda Sonowal and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa were elected to the Lok Sabha, two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam were left vacant. Recently, the BJP announced the names of the candidates for these two seats. Although many were in the running for these candidacies, the central leadership ultimately placed their trust in Pabitra Margherita and Rwngwra Narzary.

BJP Announces Rajya Sabha Candidates from Assam Amidst Political Maneuvering

In Assam’s politics, while Rameshwar Teli’s name often comes up in discussions, Mission Ranjan Das tends to stay away from the spotlight. Mission Ranjan Das is a longstanding member of the BJP. Having joined the BJP in 1982, Mission Ranjan Das has been elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly four times. At a young age, Das also served as the leader of the BJP legislative party. Before entering politics, Mission Ranjan Das was a science teacher. He taught at Karimganj High School before his political career.

Misson Ranjan Das was elected as an MLA from the North Karimganj constituency four times on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was elected as an MLA in the years 1991, 2000, 2001, and 2006. Currently, he is serving as the Chairman of the Assam State Transport Corporation. It is noteworthy that Misson Ranjan Das had previously applied multiple times for a Rajya Sabha candidacy. In the 2011 and 2016 elections, this senior BJP leader narrowly lost to the then Congress candidate Kamalakshya Dey Purkayastha.

On the other hand, another senior BJP leader, Rameswar Teli, has been granted a Rajya Sabha ticket by the BJP this time. Rameswar Teli first won the Assam Legislative Assembly election from the Duliajan constituency in 2001. He secured victory again from the same constituency in the 2006 elections. However, in the 2011 Assembly elections, he was defeated by his opponent Amiya Gogoi by nearly 3000 votes. After losing the Assembly election, this time Rameswar Teli stepped into the Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2014 general elections, he contested from the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was elected to the Lok Sabha by defeating former MP and Union Minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he was re-elected for the second time from the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency to the 17th Lok Sabha and was appointed as the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries in the Modi Cabinet.

After this, Rameswar Teli was not given a ticket for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Instead, the BJP leadership awarded the ticket to Sarbananda Sonowal. Initially, Teli showed some dissatisfaction, but later, following Sonowal’s assurances, he worked wholeheartedly for the BJP’s victory. The BJP leadership was somewhat indecisive regarding Rameswar Teli’s Rajya Sabha ticket. However, ultimately, keeping Sonowal’s earlier promise to Teli, he was finalized for the Rajya Sabha ticket.