GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is confident that the BJP-led NDA would win around 90 of the state's 126 Assembly seats. He attributed the high voter turnout (85.51 per cent) to the Assamese people’s assertive attitude.
“There was a high turnout at polling booths in Muslim as well as Hindu areas. A lot of encouragement was seen among Hindu and local people, which we normally see among people in minority areas. The Assamese largely voted this time,” Sarma told media persons.
He observed that there had been a steady increase in the turnout of Assamese voters since 2016, and it peaked this election. He further said some MLAs and candidates had informed him that many polling booths in Assamese areas recorded 94 to 95 per cent voting.
“My (Assamese-dominated) Jalukbari constituency always records 95 to 96 per cent voting. But this time, such a high turnout was seen in many constituencies. Our campaign in the last five years has been that Assamese people should be more assertive. They demonstrated that assertiveness this election,” the Chief Minister said.
He said the Assamese people had realised that if they did not take elections seriously, a day would come when they would lose their identity in Assam itself.
“…I feel we will get around 90 seats. One must not be surprised if it touches 100,” he said.
The BJP leader predicted that the minority-based party All India United Democratic Front would get four to five seats, which would leave the Congress’s tally in the range of 18-22 seats.
He felt that the three Gogois – state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi and Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi – faced tough contests. Gaurav (Jorhat), Akhil (Sivasagar) and Lurinjyoti (Khowang) were pitted against BJP candidates.
“The three will have tensions till the last vote is counted. People did not like the three-Gogoi concept,” Sarma claimed, adding, “They will win or lose by around 2,000 votes. We did not face any competition as such.”
Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia said the state's 72 lakh “youth” voters, aged less than 30 years, exercised their franchise with a lot of excitement.
“A large number of women as well as senior citizens took part in the festival of democracy with an open mind. We feel that we will get a historic mandate,” Saikia said.
He acknowledged that September, October and November last year were a difficult phase for the BJP when it faced many challenges.
Music icon Zubeen Garg had died while swimming in Singapore on September 19 last year. His mysterious and untimely death had triggered statewide protests, with protestors, particularly youth, demanding justice for the larger-than-life music icon.
