GUWAHATI, April 6: While only one alliance camp will emerge the winner on May 2, but key leaders of the incumbent BJP alliance and Opposition parties, despite revising their respective “seat targets” below the century mark, remained by and large firm on their stance during voting day in the third phase of Assam Assembly polls on Tuesday.
The incumbent BJP-led alliance however has scaled down its “100-plus seat” target it set for itself in the run-up to the three-phase polls to close to 90 seats.
Assam BJP leader and key poll strategist, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the “polls have already gone out of the hands of the Congress-led Mahajot as the BJP-led alliance will win at least 87 seats out of the 126 Assembly seats.”
“In the first phase, we will get between 35 to 40 seats (out of 47) in the first phase, 23 to 25 (out of 39) seats in the second phase and at least 22 seats (out of 40 seats) in the third phase,” Sarma, told reporters on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, the influential BJP leader voted at a polling centre in Amingaon, attired for the occasion in traditional dhoti and kurta. “As a citizen of India, it is a matter of pride for me to be able to vote …All should vote for Assam’s development,” he said.
Echoing Sarma, United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) chief, Pramod Boro said that the “Mitrajoot” (BJP-AGP-UPPL alliance) should get over 80 seats and was set to form the government in the state with a majority after May 2.
“The Congress, AIUDF and BPF do not have a face to ensure that the state would progress and at the same time be secure. But the BJP-led government has performed in the past five years which is why people have voted for the Mitrajoot,” Boro said.
On the other hand, former BJP ally and now a constituent of the Mahajot, Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) claimed that the Opposition alliance would bag 70-plus seats.
“We will get 20-plus seats in the first phase, 25-plus seats in the second phase and 25-plus in the third phase. So, Mahajot will get over 70 plus seats out of 126 seats and form the government…We have 10 anti-BJP parties in our Grand Alliance and we are sure to oust the BJP from Assam,” BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary asserted.
