New Delhi:
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is set to retain Assam, heading for a comfortable majority in the northeastern state. By afternoon today, the party was leading in 78 seats, crossing the majority mark, while the opposition Mahajot led by the Congress party led in 47.
Going by current trends, the BJP-led alliance could garner over 90 seats while the Mahajot would have to remain content with a little over 35.
Voting for these elections took place in three phases between March 27 and April 1.
In the 2016 Assembly polls, the NDA had trounced the Congress, winning 86 seats and installing Sarbananda Sonowal as Chief Minister.
“People have blessed us. We can say for sure that the BJP will form government in Assam. We are coming back to power with our partners AGP and UPPL,” Mr Sonowal told reporters today.
Asked if the ruling coalition will bag 100 seats as claimed earlier, he said, “The trends are completely in favour of the BJP. The party will achieve its target. However, we will have to wait for the final results.”
The assurance of victory in Assam came amid the BJP-led alliances’ likely defeat in other key states and a Union Territory where elections were held along with Assam: West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
In Assam, the Mahajot’s key ally Bodoland People’s Front, led by Hagrama Mohillary, was trailing in all 12 seats it had contested in — seats it had won in 2016. The BJP and its new ally, the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) swept the Bodoland region, which the alliance won in late last year’s Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) polls. The BTC elections were viewed as a semi-final before the state Assembly polls.