Guwahati, March 16: Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday expressed confidence that voters would remove the BJP-led government in the upcoming Assam Legislative Assembly elections, asserting that a Congress government would create a “new Assam”.
Reacting to the announcement of the poll schedule by the Election Commission of India, Gogoi said the people of Assam were ready for change and would bring a Congress-led government to power with a full majority.
“Assembly elections in Assam have been announced, and I am fully hopeful that the people of Assam will bring a Congress-led government with full majority… and will create a new Assam,” he said while speaking to the media. He added that such a government would ensure development and allow citizens to live peacefully “in accordance with our fundamental rights”.
Targeting Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gogoi accused the current administration of corruption and said voters would reject it at the ballot box. “The people of Assam will uproot and throw away the corrupt government of Himanta Biswa Sarma,” he said.
The Election Commission announced that polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies in the state will be held in a single phase on April 9, while counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. The Model Code of Conduct came into immediate effect following the announcement.
The upcoming election is expected to witness a direct contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and the Indian National Congress-led opposition. The BJP, under Sarma, is seeking a third consecutive term in office, while Congress is attempting to regain power in the state.
Ahead of the polls, the BJP has launched the Jan Ashirwad Yatra to engage with voters across the state. Sarma, who is actively participating in the programme, said during the first phase that he had travelled about 1,200 kilometres and spent nearly 14 hours daily interacting with the public.
Meanwhile, Congress has released its second list of candidates for the elections, announcing 23 names and taking the total number of candidates declared so far to 65 out of 126 seats. The party has left 15 constituencies for alliance partners, including Bhawanipur-Sorbhog, Bajali, Palasbari, Guwahati Central, Goreswar, Morigaon and Barhampur.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the NDA secured 75 seats, with the BJP emerging as the largest partner with 60 seats, alongside Asom Gana Parishad and United People’s Party Liberal. Voter turnout reached 86.2 per cent, with more than 2.2 crore registered voters participating.
Earlier, in the 2016 Assembly elections, the BJP won 60 seats while Congress secured 26 seats. The All India United Democratic Front won 13 seats, with voter turnout recorded at 83.9 per cent across the state’s 126 constituencies.
