Guwahati, May 4: Assam appeared firmly on course for another BJP-led government on May 4 as counting trends indicated a decisive lead for the National Democratic Alliance over the Congress-led opposition in the high-stakes Assembly elections.
According to data from the Election Commission of India, the NDA crossed the halfway mark early and continued to extend its lead as counting progressed across 40 centres covering all 126 constituencies. The alliance was leading in 98 seats, with the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead in 78 constituencies, while its allies — the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People’s Front — were leading in 10 seats each.
The Indian National Congress was ahead in 25 seats, while ally Raijor Dal led in one constituency. The trends strongly suggested that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was set to return to power for a second consecutive term, securing a third straight victory for the NDA after its wins in 2016 and 2021.
Counting began at 8 am with postal ballots, followed by Electronic Voting Machine tabulation under extensive security arrangements. Authorities deployed 25 companies of Central Armed Police Forces along with more than 800 additional police personnel to secure counting centres and strong rooms.
Early constituency-level trends showed Sarma leading comfortably from Jalukbari, while Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi was ahead in Jorhat. Gogoi also flagged concerns over slow counting in Titabor but urged patience until final results are declared.
Several ministers from the outgoing government established strong leads, including Agriculture Minister Atul Bora in Bokakhat. In Dispur, BJP candidate Pradyut Bordoloi surged ahead with a significant margin over Congress rival Mira Borthakur Goswami.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders faced setbacks in early rounds. Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia trailed in Nazira, while Akhil Gogoi lagged in Sibsagar. Assam Jatiya Parishad chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi and other prominent opposition figures also struggled in initial trends.
In Guwahati Central, AJP candidate Kunki Chowdhury trailed BJP veteran Vijay Kumar Gupta by a notable margin after several rounds of counting.
The election, regarded as a key political contest in the Northeast, saw intense campaigning centred on issues such as illegal immigration, identity politics, development, inflation, unemployment and law and order. While exit polls had largely forecast an NDA victory, opposition parties had rejected them.
As counting continued, celebrations began at BJP offices across several districts, with party leaders expressing confidence that the electorate had once again endorsed the alliance.
