Gaurav Gogoi, president of the Indian National Congress in Assam, on Sunday expressed confidence that voters would unseat the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the upcoming Assembly elections, stating that a Congress government would build a “new Assam”.
Reacting to the poll schedule announced by the Election Commission of India, Gogoi said the people of the state were ready for a political change and would bring a Congress-led government to power with a clear 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,” Gogoi 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”.
Taking aim at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gogoi accused the current administration of corruption and claimed that voters would reject it in the elections. “The people of Assam will uproot and throw away the corrupt government of Himanta Biswa Sarma,” he said.
The Election Commission of India on Saturday announced that polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies in Assam will be conducted in a single phase on April 9, while the counting of votes will take place on May 4. The Model Code of Conduct came into force immediately after the announcement.
The election is expected to witness a direct contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition front led by the Indian National Congress. The BJP, under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, is aiming for a third consecutive term in office, while Congress is seeking to return to power in the state.
Ahead of the polls, the BJP has launched its Jan Ashirwad Yatra, a statewide outreach campaign aimed at connecting with voters. During the first phase of the programme, Himanta Biswa Sarma said he had travelled nearly 1,200 kilometres and spent around 14 hours a day interacting with people.
Meanwhile, the Indian National 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 its alliance partners, including Bhowanipur–Sorbhoog, Bajali, Palasbari, Guwahati Central, Goreswar, Morigaon and Barhampur.
In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, the National Democratic Alliance secured a comfortable victory with 75 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the largest partner with 60 seats, along with allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL). Voter turnout reached 86.2 per cent, with more than 2.2 crore registered voters participating.
In the 2016 Assembly elections, the BJP also won 60 seats, while the Indian National Congress secured 26 seats and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) won 13 seats. Voter turnout that year stood at 83.9 per cent, with nearly 1.99 crore voters casting their ballots across the state’s 126 constituencies.
