BJP-NDA may win 103 of 126 seats in Assam assembly polls, says Himanta Sarma

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are likely to win 103 of the 126 seats in the assembly polls expected to be held in March–April.

“I wouldn’t like to give an exact figure, but this time we have a chance of winning 103 seats. Earlier that probability was around 90 seats, but with the delimitation of seats that number has gone up by another 13–15 seats,” Sarma said on the sidelines of an event at Dimoria in Kamrup Metropolitan district.

The Election Commission (EC) completed the delimitation of 126 assembly seats and 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in August 2023, resulting in large-scale redrawing of many constituencies in both categories. The BJP had said at the time that the exercise would help secure a majority of seats for the state’s indigenous population.

“The BJP and its allies will contest the 103 seats with full vigour. We don’t have much chance of winning in the remaining 23–24 seats. There will be a symbolic fight in those seats. Of the 103 where we will give a good fight, the voters could give us 100, 90, or 80 seats,” Sarma said.

The BJP is currently in alliance with three regional parties in Assam — Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF). No seat-sharing arrangement has been decided among these parties so far.

Meanwhile, Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi has said that his party would contest 100 seats while leaving the remaining 26 to other likely partners such as Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad and CPI(M). Gogoi also said that the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) would not be part of the opposition grouping.