00:00To our Chief Minister Ji and Vijay Gupta Ji. Why are they so little people scared?
00:05With a beaming smile and a gamusa draped over her shoulders,
00:0927-year-old Kunki Chaudhary is the new face on Assam's campaign trail.
00:13Just 15 days into politics, she says she is focused on what she calls the real issues
00:17floods, parking, garbage, jobs and public infrastructure.
00:21This time, I've taken five particular issues that I want to resolve.
00:24The youngest candidate in the fray for the April 9th Assam assembly polls,
00:28she is contesting from Central Guwahati on a ticket from the Congress ally,
00:33the Assam Jatya Parishat.
00:34The AJP is a regional political party in Assam, led by Lurinjyoti Gogoi.
00:39But politics wasn't always on Kunki's radar.
00:42Before entering the electoral fray, she spent six years working with her family's non-profit
00:46organisation which runs educational institutions across Assam.
00:50After completing a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from University College London,
00:54she returned to Assam in September 2025.
00:56Soon after, she found an opportunity with the AJP, which was reportedly looking to bring
01:02younger voices into politics.
01:03Interestingly, Kunki is contesting for a party that has never won a seat.
01:08All four key seats in Guwahati have remained strongholds of the BJP-led NDA since 2016.
01:13Her BJP opponent is 70-year-old Vijay Kumar Gupta.
01:17Kunki's political journey may be brief so far, but it hasn't been without controversy.
01:21She recently made headlines after coming under fire from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswasarma.
01:26On April 2, 2026, he alleged that her mother, Sujata Gurung Chaudhary, an academic,
01:32had shared posts related to beef consumption.
01:34Chaudhary denied the claims, calling them baseless and unfounded.
01:38Kunki also filed an FIR on April 4, 2026 over alleged deepfake videos targeting her and her mother.
01:44Beyond the controversy, her campaign raises a larger question for Assam's electorate.
01:49Is it ready to back a young candidate focused on civic issues and a modern outlook?
01:54Or will old political patterns prevail?
01:56Only time will tell.
01:59Long.
01:59Long.
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