Assam Assembly election results to be declared on Monday
Counting of votes for the Assam Assembly election will take place on Monday across 40 counting centres under tight security. The results will decide whether the BJP-led NDA secures a third term or the Congress-led opposition stages a comeback in the state
Guwahati: The battle for Assam will enter its final stage with the counting of votes on Monday, determining whether the BJP-led NDA secures a third term or the Congress returns to power after weeks of campaigning marked by identity politics, welfare delivery and regional aspirations.
EVMs, holding the electoral fate of 722 candidates from 126 Assembly constituencies in the state, will be opened at 40 counting centres across all 35 districts amid tight security arrangements.
Among the contestants, 59 are women. Counting in Nagaon district will be held at three separate centres, while in Kokrajhar, Tinsukia and Jorhat, it will be held at two centres each.
Twenty-five companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed to guard the counting centres and the strong rooms housing the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The authorities will deploy 800 more unarmed police personnel to move the EVMs from strong rooms to the counting centres.
Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel had said that two additional CAPF companies will be kept on static duty. On the other hand, 93 companies of State Armed Police have already been deployed in the districts, he said.
The support of 85 Assault Groups has also been sought on counting day to deal with any untoward incident.
Polling in the state was held on April 9, with 85.96 per cent of the over 2.50 crore electorate exercising their franchise.
Among the 722 candidates, the Congress has fielded the highest number at 99, followed by the BJP with 90, AIUDF with 30, NDA allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) with 26 and Bodo Peoples’ Front (BPF) with 11 nominees.
In the opposition alliance, Raijor Dal contested 13 seats, Assam Jatiya Parishad 10, CPI(M) three, and All Party Hill Leaders Conference two.
The Aam Aadmi Party and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) each contested 18 seats, the TMC 22, and the JMM 16. Besides, there are 258 Independent candidates.
Among the high-profile candidates whose electoral fate will be decided on Monday are Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Congress state unit chief Gaurav Gogoi, Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, Raijor Dal chief and MP Akhil Gogoi, and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi. Several Cabinet ministers, including the AGP’s Atul Bora and Keshav Mahanta, and the BPF’s Charan Boro, are also in the fray.
The ruling BJP-led NDA’s main constituents are the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodo Peoples’ Front, while the opposition alliance comprises the Congress, Raijor Dal, AJP, CPI(M), All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) and CPI(ML).
The ruling BJP’s strength in the outgoing Assembly is 64, while its allies — the AGP has nine, the UPPL seven and the BPF, which rejoined the alliance, has three MLAs.
In the opposition camp, the Congress has 26 members, the AIUDF has 15, the CPI(M) has one, and there is also an Independent legislator.
