Mising Autonomous Council polls: Nominations pick up in Majuli, Jorhat

Campaigning for the Mising Autonomous Council (MAC) elections gathered pace in Majuli and Jorhat on Monday as candidates turned up in numbers to file their nomination papers, The Assam Tribune reported.

Polling for the council is scheduled for November 30. Tuesday, November 10, is the last day to submit nominations.

Five candidates so far in Jorhat district

In Jorhat district, five candidates had filed papers by Monday across two constituencies, 38-Janji and 33-Jorhat, according to the report.

Among them is Haren Richong, who is contesting from the newly created 38-Janji constituency with the backing of two Mising organisations, the Takam Mising Porin Kébang (TMPK) and the Mising Mimag Kébang (MMK). He arrived to file his papers with a large group of supporters.

Richong told reporters that Janji faces a number of local problems that community groups have been taking up with the Centre and the state government. He said he was standing to help address the concerns of all communities living within the council's area.

Majuli: drums, dance and processions

In Majuli, candidates and supporters began gathering at the District Commissioner's office in Garhmur early in the morning.

The candidates who filed papers there on Monday included:

• Ranjit Doloi, from 32-Rikong Majuli
• Trailokya Pamegam and Ananda Norah, from 31-Phuloni-Jokaibowa
• Ajit Pegu, from 30-Changa
• Barnali Kaman, from 23-Lohit

Hundreds of supporters accompanied the candidates through Garhmur. Many wore the traditional erok scarf, and the processions featured the Gumrag, a traditional dance of the Mising community, along with drumming and slogans. People of all ages joined in.

The nomination rush coincided with preparations for the Raas festival on the river island, giving Majuli a mix of festive and political activity this week.

What is the Mising Autonomous Council?

The Mising Autonomous Council is a statutory body set up by the Assam government for the socio-economic, educational and cultural development of the Mising people, one of the largest plains tribes in Assam. Its area covers Mising-inhabited villages spread across several districts of Upper Assam along the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, including Majuli, Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji.

Council elections are watched closely in the region because the body handles funds and schemes for development in its villages, and because the results are often read as a signal of political mood among the community ahead of larger polls.

What comes next

Once nominations close on Tuesday, the papers will be scrutinised and candidates will have a window to withdraw before the final list is published. Campaigning is expected to intensify across the council's constituencies in the run-up to the November 30 vote.

NEInsider will report the final list of candidates and the results as they are announced.