Guwahati: Political parties in Assam on Sunday said that they are prepared for the Assembly elections scheduled for April 9, though opposition leaders called on the Election Commission of India to ensure a free and fair electoral process.
The elections to the 126-member Assembly will be conducted in a single phase, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.
Senior spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rupam Goswami, said the party is fully prepared for the polls and expressed confidence about the outcome.
“As a party, the BJP is always ready to face any election. Our preparations are complete and the list of candidates will be announced soon,” he said.
Goswami added that the ruling alliance was confident of returning to power for a third consecutive term in the state. He also noted that the election schedule would allow people to celebrate Bohag Bihu without political campaigning overlapping with the festivities.
“The people know whom they want to vote for. It is also good that the elections will conclude before Bohag Bihu,” he said, describing the single-phase polling as a sign of improved peace and administrative efficiency in the state.
Leaders of the Indian National Congress also said the party was prepared for the contest. Bedabrata Bora, chairman of the party’s media department in the state, said the Congress had anticipated an early April election schedule.
“We had indications that the elections could be held in a single phase in the first half of April. Our preparations were made accordingly, and we are ready,” Bora said, adding that the party had already released two lists of candidates.
However, he emphasised that the Election Commission must ensure that the polls are conducted fairly.
Echoing similar concerns, Badruddin Ajmal, chief of the All India United Democratic Front, said the party is ready for the elections but urged the authorities to prevent any irregularities.
“Our party is ready for the elections, but the EC must ensure that the polls are free and fair and that there is no ‘vote chori’,” Ajmal said, while encouraging young voters to participate actively in the electoral process.
He added that the AIUDF plans to contest between 25 and 30 seats in the election.
Meanwhile, the Asom Jatiya Parishad criticised the decision to conduct the election within a relatively short time frame. In a joint statement, party president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan alleged that the compressed schedule would favour the ruling party.
They argued that the BJP, with what they described as “abundant financial resources and control over government machinery”, would be able to conduct extensive campaigning across the state, including through helicopter travel.
“Opposition parties, however, do not have such resources and will face serious difficulties in organising campaigns within such a limited timeframe,” the statement said.
In the present Assembly, the BJP holds 64 seats. Among its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad has nine legislators, the United People’s Party Liberal has seven and the Bodoland People’s Front has three members.
On the opposition benches, the Congress has 26 MLAs, the AIUDF 15 and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) one legislator, besides an Independent member.
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