Guwahati, April 3: The intense campaign for the Assam Assembly elections ended at 5 pm on Tuesday, paving the way for polling on April 9 across all 126 constituencies. A total of 722 candidates are contesting in this single-phase election, which has seen fiery exchanges between the ruling NDA and the opposition Congress-led alliance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other BJP leaders accused the Congress of encouraging infiltrators to settle in Assam, failing to control insurgency, and neglecting development. The BJP highlighted its achievements, including land rights for tea garden workers, empowerment schemes for women, financial aid for girl students, and a reported 84 percent reduction in child marriage. The party also promised to implement the Uniform Civil Code to prevent polygamy and continue its development agenda.
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi countered by accusing the BJP of corruption, divisive politics, and ignoring justice for singer Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore last year. The Congress pledged cash assistance for women, health insurance for citizens, and land rights for indigenous people if elected.
The campaign was marked by sharp personal allegations. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused Congress state president Gaurav Gogoi and his wife of links with Pakistan’s ISI, while the Congress alleged Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma held multiple passports and undisclosed foreign assets not mentioned in his poll affidavit.
Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi, AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal, Raijor Dal’s Akhil Gogoi, AJP President Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Speaker Biswajit Daimary, and several senior ministers. The NDA alliance comprises the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad, and Bodo Peoples’ Front, while the opposition grouping includes the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI(M), CPI(ML), and the All Party Hill Leaders Conference.
This year’s election will be conducted in a single phase, unlike previous occasions when voting was spread across multiple phases. Official results will be declared only after counting is completed.
