Guwahati: Karimuddin Barbhuiyan, an Asom Gana Parishad leader who contested the recently concluded Assam Assembly elections from Sonai constituency in Cachar district, on Friday, asserted that many Muslims had voted in the name of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and said the Opposition camp’s dream of forming the next government would remain only a dream.
Barbhuiyan, who switched to the Asom Gana Parishad from the All India United Democratic Front ahead of the polls, said the mood among voters had clearly favoured the ruling alliance and dismissed claims that anti-incumbency would damage the Bharatiya Janata Party-led combine in the state.
He said Opposition parties might at best secure around 35 seats in the 126-member Assembly, adding that repeated attempts to project a change in government were disconnected from the ground reality witnessed during campaigning.
According to him, welfare delivery, road connectivity, law and order, and visible infrastructure development had helped strengthen public confidence in the present dispensation across regions, including Barak Valley and Lower Assam.
In a pointed political remark, Barbhuiyan said it was good if Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi won his seat, adding that every democracy needs at least one person willing to raise issues and challenge the government in the House.
He, however, maintained that isolated criticism would not alter the larger mandate and insisted that voters were looking for continuity, stability, and faster development rather than experimentation with fragmented Opposition forces.
Fresh seat and vote share projections on Thursday for the Assembly elections in Assam have indicated a strong advantage for the ruling alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, with the bloc projected to secure 102 seats, with a margin of error of plus or minus nine seats.
According to the exit poll by Today’s Chanakya, the Opposition alliance led by the Indian National Congress is projected to win 23 seats, with a range of plus or minus 9 seats, while others are expected to remain marginal at around 1 seat.
If the trend holds, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led combine would comfortably retain power in the 126-member Assembly.
In terms of vote share, the Bharatiya Janata Party alliance is projected to receive around 50 per cent, with a possible fluctuation of three percentage points. The Congress-led bloc is estimated to secure 38 per cent of the votes, while other parties and independents together may account for 12 per cent.
(IANS)
