Algapur bypoll: AIUDF challenges Congress

Karimganj: The by-election to the Algapur Assembly constituency in south Assam on February 24 is poised to see a straight contest between the Congress and AIUDF with minister Gautam Roy`s wife facing challenge from Supreme Court lawyer Mehububul Hasan Munna. AIUDF supremo Badaruddin Ajmal emboldened by the success of his party in the just concluded panchayat elections is set to give a tough fight by his party to Congress nominee and the minister`s wife Mandira Roy. The AIUDF chief said he would not rest till the seat was won alleging "misrule of the Tarun Gogoi government as and the failure of the Centre and the state to control rising prices of essential commodities." Mandira`s is facing the challenge from AIUDF`s Mehububul Hasan Munna, a Supreme Court lawyer and nephew of former AGP minister Sahidul Alam Choudhury, who represented the constituency till his death on November 21 last year. With an impressive performance by the Congress in the panchayat polls, Gautom Roy has taken up the challenge and formulating strategy for ensuring his wife`s victory. The seat fell vacant following the death of Choudhury who had turned Algapur into the only bastion of the party in the Barak Valley. He had held the seat since his debut in 1985 except for 2006 when it was wrested by Rahul Roy. PTI