Will form govt easily: Gogoi slams exit polls

Congress leaders overseeing the Assam Assembly elections on Saturday held consultations with alliance partners, projecting confidence of forming the next government and rejecting exit poll predictions that favour the BJP-led NDA.

Senior observers D K Shivakumar, Bhupesh Baghel and Jitendra Singh met representatives of allied parties as part of final preparations ahead of counting on May 4.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi said there was broad agreement among alliance partners that the coalition was in a position to secure a clear mandate. He said feedback from across sections, including farmers, youth and women, indicated support for a change in government.

Gogoi dismissed exit poll projections giving the BJP a comfortable majority, alleging that such forecasts were aimed at shaping public perception. He said the alliance remained united and focused on ensuring vigilance during counting, including close monitoring of strong rooms.

The Congress has tied up with five parties, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI(M), APHLC and CPI(ML), to take on the ruling NDA in the state. Shivakumar, who has been assigned responsibility as an election observer, also rejected the exit poll findings, saying the party’s internal assessment suggested a different outcome. He claimed there was a climate of fear among sections of voters, which, according to him, could have influenced public responses.