GUWAHATI: In a major embarrassment for Congress , Dilwar Hussain, who has a case against him for rhino poaching in Kaziranga, won the panchayat president’s seat in Biswanath district’s Suwaguri. Ganesh Doley, another rhino poacher who has even served a jail term , also contested on an AGP ticket for the Moridhari panchayat seat in AGP chief and minister Atul Bora’s constituency Bokakhat in Golaghat. However, he lost.Congress said the party made a last-ditch effort to withdraw Hussain’s nomination, but failed. “When we came to know Hussain’s background, we promptly moved to reject his nomination on our symbol. But by then, the scrutiny was over and it became technically impossible to withdraw the symbol from his candidature,” district Congress chief Dilip Baruah said.Hussain has a case against him for poaching rhinos in Kaziranga National Park — home to two-thirds of the world’s one-horned rhino population. Baruah said the party now has its hands tied . “We cannot do anything. People voted for him,” he said.Hussain did not take calls, but his supporters said he is a reformed person now.

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