Guwahati, May 4: The ruling NDA is set to form the government in Assam for the third time in a row after securing a two-thirds majority, with the alliance winning 101 seats in the 126-member assembly on Monday.
While the BJP won 81 seats till 8.30 pm, its allies — the Bodo Peoples’ Front (BPF) and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) — bagged 10 constituencies each. The BJP was leading in one seat.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma won the Jalukbari constituency for the sixth consecutive term, defeating Congress candidate Bidisha Neog by 89,434 votes.
In the opposition camp, the Congress won 15 seats and was leading in four, while the Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF and Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal secured two seats each, and the Trinamool Congress bagged one constituency.
In a major blow to the Congress, its state president Gaurav Gogoi lost in Jorhat to veteran politician and sitting BJP MLA Hitendranath Goswami by 23,181 votes.
Among the prominent BJP winners are ministers Ajanta Neog (Golaghat), Ranoj Pegu (Dhemaji), Pijush Hazarika (Jagiroad), Kaushik Rai (Lakhipur), Prashanta Phukan (Dibrugarh), Krishnendu Paul (Patharkandi) and Bimal Borah (Tingkhong).
Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary won from Tamulpur constituency by defeating former BTC chief Pramod Boro of the UPPL.
Sitting MLAs Mrinal Saikia (Khumtai), Bhuban Pegu (Jonai), Rama Kanta Dewri (Morigaon), Rupak Sarmah (Nagaon-Batadraba), Paramanda Rajbongshi (Sipajhar), Utpal Borah (Gohpur), Biswajit Phukan (Sarupathar), Binod Hazarika (Chabua-Lahowal), Taranga Gogoi (Naharkatia), Bhaskar Sharma (Margherita), Rupjyoti Kurmi (Mariani) and Bhuban Gam (Majuli) also emerged victorious.
AGP ministers Atul Bora and Keshav Mahanta retained their Bokakhat and Kaliabor constituencies, respectively, while first-timer Tapan Das won the Dimoria seat. Among the BPF candidates, cabinet minister Charan Boro retained his Mazbat constituency while the others who won are Maneswar Brahma (Baksa), Paniram Brahma (Sidli-Chirang), Thaneswar Basumatary (Manas), Rihon Daimary (Udalguri) and BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary’s wife Sewli Mohilary from Kokrajhar.
Congress candidates Asif Mohammad Nazar and Aftabuddin Mollah won from Laharighat and Jaleswar constituencies, respectively. AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal won from Binnakandi and Mazibur Rahman from Dalgaon.
Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi retained the Sibsagar seat, while another party member Mehboob Muktar won the Dhing seat and Trinamool Congress’ Sherman Ali Ahmed won from Mandia.
Among the prominent candidates who lost the polls are Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing assembly, Debabrata Saikia, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Saikia, and former Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Ripun Bora.
Polling in all 126 assembly constituencies in the state was held in a single phase on April 9. (PTI)
