Guwahati: The Congress in Assam, winning
a near absolute majority with 78 seats, has wrested 32 seats
from its opponents but its 15 sitting MLAs, including two
ministers, have lost their seats.
The Congress has gained the maximum number of 15 seats
from the AGP followed by seven seats from BJP, four from
AIUDF, five from Independents and one from the CPI.
Congress`s major achievement was getting the scalp of
the president`s of both the opposition parties - AGP and BJP.
AGP President Chandramohan Patowary`s loss to former
Congress MLA Neelmani Sen Deka in Dharmapur and BJP`s state
unit President Ranjit Dutta`s debacle in Behali at the hand of
an youth Congress leader and first time entrant into electoral
fray Pallab Lochan Das was a huge embarrassment for both the
parties.
The AGP, which managed to win only 10 seats, also had
to face the defeat of several party stalwarts including former
two-time chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta in Samaguri
though he managed to win in his home constituency Baharampur.
Former AGP President Brindabon Goswami also lost Tezpur,
which he has been representing since 1985, to Congress` Rajen
Barthakur.
The Congress also wrested the traditional AGP bastion
of Nowgong, Dhekiajuli, Khumtai, Dergaon, Sarupathar,
Chaygaon, Nalbari, Mangaldoi (SC), besides Gauhati (West),
Abhayapuri (South), Chenga, Tingkhong and Amguri.
The Congress wiped out the BJP from the Barak Valley,
where it had won five seats in 2006, wresting Ratabari,
Patharkandi, Karimganj (North), Dholai and Borkhola.
In Karimganj (North), the Congress wrested the seat from
BJP`s legislature party leader Mission Ranjan Das and in
Borkhola it put up BJP sitting MLA, Rumi Nath, who was
subsequently suspended for anti-party activities and joined
the ruling party.
The Congress also wrested the Duliajan seat from the
BJP.
PTI
