Cong citadel crumbles in Assam

I am grateful to the people of Assam for responding to our promise of all-round development, corruption-free governance and purging the state of illegal migrants. We will do everything possible to keep all promises. — Sarbananda Sonowal, BJP's Chief ministerial candidate

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, May 19

Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Welfare, is set to lead the first BJP-led government in Assam.

The Sonowal-led BJP has accomplished the task entrusted to it by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to decimate the Congress led by Tarun Gogoi that crumbled under the wave of saffronisation and burden of anti-incumbency.

The BJP-led alliance comprising the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) has trounced the Congress that won 78 seats in 2011 poll. The AGP and the BPF have helped the alliance to cross the magic figure of 84 seats in the 126-member House. The BJP had got only five seats in the 2011 elections.

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The alliance swept elections in eastern Assam, western Assam and Barak Valley (South Assam) — three culturally and ethnically distinct regions. The results have shown that that the BJP has made inroads into the Congress' bastion among tea tribe voters in eastern Assam and among Bengali-speaking Hindus in Barak Valley in south Assam. The alliance gained out of division of Muslim votes between the Congress and the AIUDF even as some of the Muslim votes went to the BJP's ally AGP.

"I am very grateful to the people of Assam for responding to our promise of massive and rapid all-round development, corruption-free governance, protection of rights of indigenous people, purging the state of illegal migrants etc. We will do everything possible to keep all promises made during the elections," Sonowal said. He defeated Congress rival Rajib Lochan Pegu from Majuli.

He thanked the BJP workers and leaders, especially convener of election management committee Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarmah, and workers of the AGP and the BPF for their hard work that made the unprecedented victory possible. He also expressed gratitude to BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhab for ably supervising the electioneering. He said PM Modi had sent thanks giving message to the people of Assam.

Graceful in defeat, Tarun Gogoi said he would accept the mandate with humility. He termed the verdict a "grand success" for the BJP. Gogoi promised that the Congress would play the role of a constructive Opposition. "It is the beauty of democracy. I have congratulated Sarbananda Sonowal. I have naturally felt bad for the defeat, but have not lost hope. I have seen worse days in politics. I will remain in active politics in Assam," the octogenarian Congress leader said.

Gogoi retained his Titabor seat by defeating BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, while many of his senior colleagues, including Paban Singh Ghatowar, Sarat Barkotoky, Pradyut Bardoloi, Bhupen Bora, Bharat Narah, Goutam Roy, Bharat Narah, Prithvi Majhi, Dr Ardhendu Dey, tasted defeat.

The BJP's star campaigner and a key strategist, Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarmah who won from Jalukbari for the fourth consecutive term, said the people of Assam had voted against the Congress' tradition of dynastic politics.

Once Gogoi's blue-eyed boy, Himanta shifted allegiance to the BJP last year after he was sidelined in the Congress for raising the banner of revolt against Gogoi.

One of the most high-profile losers in this election is the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) president Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal. He was defeated by Congress' Wajed Ali Choudhury from Salmara South.