BJP takes early lead, Congress lags as per initial counting trends in Assam

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was leading in Assam, while the Opposition Congress lagged in the first 90 minutes after the vote count, which started at 8am on Monday. Security outside a counting centre in Tezpur. (PTI)At 9:30am, trends were available for 28 of the 126 seats, with the BJP leading in 19, and its allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), in two and three. The Congress was leading in just two seats and its ally, Assam Jatiya Parishad, in one. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which is not part of any alliance, was leading in one seat. State Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi, who contested from Jorhat, was trailing BJP legislator Hitendranath Goswami by over 1,000 votes. Ministers Pijush Hazarika (Jagiroad), Ajanta Neog (Golaghat), Ranoj Pegu (Dhemaji), Prasanta Phukan (Dibrugarh), and former parliamentarian Pallab Lochan Das (Biswanath) were among the prominent BJP candidates leading. The NDA hopes to return to power for a third consecutive time in Assam, where exit polls predicted a landslide victory for the ruling alliance. The counting of votes was underway in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry following the conclusion of the biggest electoral exercise since the 2024 polls. Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times.Read More