Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday filed his nomination as the BJP candidate for the Dibrugarh parliamentary constituency in Assam, an official said.

Sonowal, accompanied by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, filed his nomination papers before Returning Officer Bikram Kairi.

Polling for the Dibrugarh constituency will be held on April 19 in the first phase of the general elections.

Assam has 14 Lok Sabha seats.

Besides Sarma, Sonowal was accompanied by Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Atul Bora, United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) leader Promode Bodo, sitting BJP MLA and Union minister Rameswar Teli and state party president Bhabesh Kalita.

Sonowal, the Union Minister for Shipping, Ports, Waterways and Ayush, who had represented the constituency in 2004 as an AGP candidate, will contest against United Opposition Front, Assam (UOFA) nominee Lurinjyoti Gogoi.

Gogoi is also scheduled to file his nomination later on Tuesday.

Braving inclement weather, BJP supporters came out in large numbers to attend a rally addressed by Sonowal before the party took out a procession to the Office of the Returning Officer here for the filing of nomination.

Earlier, sitting BJP MP Pradan Baruah filed his nomination papers for the Lakhimpur constituency.

Five constituencies will go to polls in the first phase – Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Kaziranga and Sonitpur.

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