Guwahati: The exit polls on Thursday predicted a big win for the the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) alliance in Assam and projected that the saffron party will retain power in the state for the second term. Meanwhile, the exit poll surveys were a large setback for the Congress, however, a tough fight for the ruling NDA as the UPA will follow closely on its heels.
As per the CVoter Exit Poll for Times Now/ABP News, the BJP-led NDA has a slight edge with 65 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly, one more than the majority mark of 64, while the UPA would win 59 seats. The projected seats for NDA are between 58 and 71, while for the UPA, they are between 53 and 66. As per the exit poll, the Congress-led 10-party ‘Mahajot’ will get 48.8 per cent votes, while the NDA will get 42.9 per cent votes and others 8.3 per cent votes. Independents and others will be the key players with the BJP having the edge being the ruling party in the state.
Meanwhile, the exit poll survey by the India Today-Axis My India, predicted 75-85 seats for the BJP-led combine in the 126-member assembly and 40-50 to the Congress-led opposition.
Today’s Chanakya predicted 61-79 seats for the saffron alliance and 47-65 for the Congress-led opposition in Assam. Republic-CNX gave the ruling saffron alliance 74-84 seats and the opposition 40-50 seats.
The state of Assam went to polls in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6 for its total 126 constituencies, and the counting of votes will be held on May 2. In the three-phased Assam Assembly Election, the state had recorded a total turnout was nearly 82. 04 per cent. According to the data provided by the Election Commission, the voter turnout in the first phase was nearly 77 per cent, in the second phase of polling it was 74.76 per cent, while a voter turnout of 82. 29 per cent was recorded in the third and final phase where the fate of 337 candidates, including state minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Himanta Biswa Sarma in the Jalukbari constituency, was to be decided.
At present, Assam is under the BJP-led NDA rule, which had won 86 of 126 seats in the 2016 state Assembly Elections. And, in the 2021 Assembly Elections, the BJP is contesting against the grand alliance of eight parties, which includes Congress and Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF. The BJP has also formed an alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPP (L)). In the NDA camp, the BJP is contesting from 92 seats, AGP from 26 and UPP(L) from 8. And, in the Opposition, Congress party is contesting from 94 seats, AIUDF from 14, Bodoland People’s Front from 12, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) from 2. Rupun Sarma-led Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation, Ajit Kumar Buyan’s Anchalik Gana Morcha and RJD are contesting one seat each.