Education documents of BJP candidates contesting in Silchar civic polls questioned

AJP leader Kunki Chowdhury. Photo credit: X/@KunkiCofficial

The Assam The regional body Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has questioned the education certificates of 13 BJP candidates who contested the Silchar Municipal Corporation elections on October 3, 2026.

AJP leader Kunki Chowdhury said her party had filed complaints against 13 BJP candidates for claiming dubious educational qualifications, but the State Election Commission and district election authorities had not taken necessary action.

“The affidavit of Kanchan Deb, the BJP candidate for Ward 6, says that he obtained his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Sikkim International University in 2018. However, available information indicates that the university was established in 2021,” she told reporters at the AJP office in Guwahati on Wednesday (September 30, 2026).

Ms. Chowdhury cited the case of Uttam Kumar Gowal, the BJP candidate for Ward 39. She said his affidavit proved that he passed Class 10 in 1999 and Class 12 in 2024. “We sought clarification on the difference between the two qualifications,” she said.

She also questioned the educational background of Pratiksha Deb and Paplee Karmakar, the BJP candidates for Ward 14 and Ward 15, respectively.

Ms. Chowdhury was referring to media reports that Jodhpur University was facing allegations of issuing fake degrees.

The Silchar court had earlier summoned Ataura Rahman Laskar, the BJP candidate for ward 17, after three individuals questioned the veracity of his educational claims. His affidavit said he obtained his BA from the controversial Sikkim-based university.

The October 3 elections will be the first civic body polls after Silchar, an urban hub of south Assam’s Barak Valley, was upgraded from a municipal council to a municipal corporation in September 2025. After the dissolution of the Silchar Municipal Council in April 2020, no elections were held.

Silchar Municipal Corporation has 42 wards. BJP candidates have already won two of them uncontested, while the Congress candidate for Ward 18 joined the BJP a few days ago. The independent candidate is the only opponent of the BJP candidate in this ward.

Published – 01 Oct 2026 21:29 IST