Assam BJP conducts review meeting on eve of vote counting

Guwahati, May 3 Ahead of the declaration of results for the Assam Assembly elections on Monday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday held a virtual meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates, Members of Parliament, state office-bearers and district presidents to review preparedness ahead of counting day.

BJP sources said the online interaction focused on coordination, booth-level monitoring, counting arrangements and post-result organisational strategy as the state braces for a crucial electoral verdict.

State BJP President Dilip Saikia was also present during the meeting.

Senior party leaders discussed district-wise updates and asked local units to remain vigilant and maintain close communication with counting agents and election representatives.

The ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is seeking a third consecutive term in Assam, while the Congress-led Opposition alliance has expressed confidence of putting up a strong challenge.

Counting of votes for the 126-member Assam Assembly will begin on Monday morning under tight security arrangements across the state.

Postal ballots will be counted first, followed by Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes as per Election Commission guidelines.

Several exit poll surveys already projected a decisive victory for the BJP in Assam, indicating that incumbent Chief Minister Sarma is set to return to power for a second consecutive term.

Most pollsters forecast the ruling BJP crossing the majority mark comfortably in the 126-member Assam Assembly, with estimates suggesting the party could secure more than 80 seats on its own.

The majority mark in the Assembly stands at 64 seats.

If the projections hold true, it would mark another emphatic mandate for the BJP in the politically significant northeastern state and further strengthen the leadership position of Himanta Biswa Sarma, who took charge as the Chief Minister after the 2021 Assembly polls.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the BJP-led NDA had retained power by winning 75 seats in the state.

The Congress-led Opposition bloc had secured 50 seats, while one seat went to an Independent candidate.

Notably, Assam was among the states where exit polls in 2021 came closest to the final outcome, with most surveys accurately predicting the BJP's return to office within a narrow margin of error.

With similar forecasts emerging this time, all eyes are now on the final results to see whether the ruling party can convert the projections into another landslide mandate.

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