By IANS,
Guwahati : Counting of votes began Friday for assembly elections held in Assam, with the Congress confident of retaining power and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) determined to oust it.
The vote count started at 8 a.m. to pick 126 legislators from among 986 candidates in the fray.
An estimated 76 percent of Assam’s nearly 18 million voters exercised their franchise April 4 and 11.
Although no party has emerged as the frontrunner, the Congress is widely seen as having a slight edge.
The opposition in Assam is fractured. The AGP, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) fought the battle separately.
The Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) with 11 legislators in the outgoing assembly has a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.
“We are confident of coming back to power for the third straight term,” Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told IANS.
The opposition, too, is optimistic that this election would help bring in change.
“People of Assam voted for change and we are confident of winning,” AGP’s Chandra Mohan Patowary said.
In 2006, the Congress won 53 seats, the AGP 24, and the BJP and AUDF 10 each.