The BJP declared victory in Assam early Thursday as vote counting showed the party surging ahead of the Congress Party, which ruled the state for 15 years. The BJP and its allies AGP and Bodo People’s Front scored a landslide victory, cornering 87 seats in the 126-member Assembly.
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Mr Sonowal will take oath on May 24 which will be attended by the prime minister, the party chief, among others.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said the party will work harder till it wins the confidence and trust of people, as results of assembly elections poured in.
In Odisha, where state and Lok Sabha polls were conducted simultaneously, BJP led in 20 Assembly segments but got only 10 Assembly seats. This was the first time after 1984 that a political front won two elections simultaneously in the state. Five days before the BJP led NDA government at the centre completes two years in power, PM Modi began consultations for an overhaul which involve his senior cabinet ministers, the BJP organisation and even state governors.
“The absolute majority of the BJP in Assam symbolises the growing strength of the BJP in the northeast and recognizes the pan India presence of the BJP”, it said.
The results strengthen the BJP’s position in the run-up to Modi government’s second anniversary, reports The Times of India, and may lead to the revival of “Congress-mukt Bharat”.
Speaking to media persons today, BJP Manipur Pradesh legislature wing leader Kh Joykishan commended the contributions of BJP workers and supporters in toppling the Congress Government.
A Congress Party spokesperson, P.C. Chacko, dismissed the party’s dismal showing, saying, “We have bounced back many times after humiliating defeats”.
Turning to Kerala, the party pointed out the tradition of Left and Congress alternatively bagging power continued and the BJP could only “open an account”.
“We are happy that BJP wrested the power from the Congress in Assam but the credit of this historic win goes to the regional leadership and not to the Modi government”, Sena said in its mouthpiece “Saamana”. “BJP’s victory in Assam is the beginning of a great transformation”.
On loss of Congress in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, Mr Jaitley said in Tamil Nadu, it was a laggard in the DMK-Congress alliance.
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According to BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, the mandate was for protecting the identity of the people of Assam and also for development.
