BJP looks set to become first non-Congress govt to win consecutive terms in Assam
Official trends were available for 115 of the 126 seats at 11.30 am. The BJP and its allies were leading in 73 seats, ahead of the Congress and its allies in 41 seats
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition appeared to be outperforming the Opposition Mahajot (grand alliance) and headed for a second consecutive term in Assam, trends from the counting of votes showed on Sunday.
If the BJP returns to power in Assam, it will become the first non-Congress government to return to power in the northeasten state.
Official trends were available for 121 of the 126 seats. The BJP and its allies were leading in 81 seats, ahead of the Congress and its allies in 44 seats.
BJP was leading in 57 seats while its alliance partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) were ahead in 11 and eight seats respectively.
Congress was leading in 28 seats while alliance partners All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) was ahead in 14 and Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) in one seat.
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A party or alliance needs 64 seats to form government.
Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal was leading in Majuli, senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was leading in Jalukbari and BJP state president Ranjeet Kumar Dass was leading in Patacharkuchi.
Congress state president Ripun Bora was trailing BJP’s Utpal Borah in Gohpur and the party’s legislature party leader Debabrata Saikia was also trailing BJP’s Mayur Borgohain in Nazira .
Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi, who is under arrest since December 2019 for his alleged involvement in the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests, was leading the BJP’s Surabhi Rankonwari in Sibsagar seat.
In 2016, BJP had won 60 seats and formed its first government in Assam with support of AGP (14) and Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF), which bagged 12 seats. On the other hand, Congress had bagged 26 seats and AIUDF 13.
“The trend and leads till now show that voters of Assam have reposed faith in the BJP and we will surely form the next government,” Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal told ANI.
“The trends and leads are not unexpected. BJP’s policy of beneficiary politics as well as the clash of civilizations strategy adopted for this election seems to have resonated with voters,” said Akhil Ranjan Dutta, professor of political science in Gauhati University.