Guwahati, April 3: Senior Assam minister Ashok Singhal has asserted that the people of the state will deliver an “exceptional pro-incumbency” mandate in favour of the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections. Speaking to PTI, Singhal said the ruling party is poised to return to power for a third consecutive term with a “historic” victory, claiming the NDA alliance could secure close to 100 seats.

“The people will give an exceptional and historic pro-incumbency mandate, and the number of seats the ruling NDA alliance will win will be beyond imagination,” he said, adding that the mood across Assam is “electrifying” and strongly in favour of the BJP.

Singhal, contesting from Dhekiajuli for the third time, dismissed the Congress as “irrelevant,” alleging that its candidates are demoralised and in some constituencies not even campaigning. He argued that recent defections of senior Congress leaders like Pradyut Bordoloi and Bhupen Borah to the BJP have further weakened the opposition.

Highlighting the BJP’s three-dimensional approach to the polls, Singhal said the party is prioritizing security, cultural heritage, and development. He credited Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with leading efforts to curb infiltration and protect Assam’s identity, while also stressing the government’s focus on values, traditions, and rapid infrastructure growth.

“The youth are now dreaming that they can do something to compete with developed states… they are hopeful Assam can become a leading state,” Singhal remarked, adding that support for the BJP is “overwhelming” across communities.

Singhal, who previously defeated Congress rivals by margins of over 70,000 and 90,000 votes in 2016 and 2021, is facing Congress’s Batash Orang in Dhekiajuli this time. Elections to Assam’s 126-member assembly will be held on April 9, with votes counted on May 4.