By IANS,
Guwahati : The Congress was likely to improve on its tally in the northeast with its candidates ahead of its rivals in 12 of the 24 parliamentary seats, although the party received a setback in Assam Saturday.
According to latest trends available, the Congress was leading in six of the 14 seats, while its alliance partner the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) was ahead on one seat.
The opposition combine of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was ahead on five seats – the BJP on four seats and the AGP on one. The Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) is leading in two constituencies.
In the 2004 elections, both the AGP and the BJP won two seats each, while the Congress won nine seats and the BPF one.
There was a major setback for the Congress in Assam with the prestigious Guwahati seat likely to go to the BJP. There was nothing much to cheer for the AGP as the regional party was expected to win just one seat – down from two the party won in 2004.
In Manipur, the Congress was leading in both the Inner Manipur and the Outer Manipur seats.
In Arunachal Pradesh, sitting MP Khiren Rijiju was trailing behind his nearest Congress candidate, while in the Arunachal East seat too the Congress was ahead.
In Nagaland, the BJP backed Nagaland People’s Front candidate C. Chang was leading over his Congress rival.
In Meghalaya, the Congress candidate was leading in the Shillong seat, while in the Tura seat the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was leading.
Tripura’s ruling CPI-M candidate Bajuban Reang won the Tripura East parliamentary constituency, defeating his Congress rival Diba Chandra Hrangkhawl by a margin of 295,000 votes.
Former Tripura health minister and CPI-M Central Committee member Khagen Das defeated his Congress rival Sudip Roy Barma in Tripura West Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 247,000 votes.
In Mizoram, the ruling Congress candidate was inching closer to victory.
In the 2004 general elections, the Congress party won 11 of the 24 seats, of which nine were from Assam, while the BJP bagged four seats, two each in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
The remaining winners were from small regional parties and independents, besides two Left candidates from Tripura and one from the Nationalist Congress Party.