A city with 42 wards is just a city but the one with 22 wards is our second capital

I still wonder why Silchar was never declared the second capital of Assam.

Even before it was upgraded to a Municipal Corporation, Silchar Municipal Board had 28 wards. Today, the Silchar Municipal Corporation has 42 wards, making it the second-largest municipal corporation in Assam after Guwahati.

Population-wise too, Silchar is one of the largest urban centres in the state, with current estimates putting its population at around 3 lakh. Of course, the exact figure can only be established once the current Census is completed.

Then there is the geographical spread. The Silchar Municipal Corporation currently covers around 69.4 sq. km, once again making it the second-largest corporation in Assam in terms of area.

Now compare this with Dibrugarh, Assam’s second capital. Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation has only 22 wards fewer than the number of wards Silchar had when it was still a Municipal Board.

In terms of area, Silchar’s municipal limits are roughly four times larger: around 69.4 sq. km compared with Dibrugarh’s approximately only 15 sq. km. Dibrugarh’s population is also significantly smaller than Silchar’s.

So the question naturally arises: why was Silchar never considered for the status of Assam’s second capital? Why was Dibrugarh chosen instead?