Assam remains a traditional Congress bastion

A Cong bastion since first LS polls in 1952, Assam has elected party's candidates even when the state was ruled by regional party.

Traditionally a Congress bastion since the first Lok Sabha elections in 1952, Assam has elected the party's candidates even when the state was ruled by the regional party, Asom Gana Parishad, for two terms.

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Till the AGP and BJP arrived on the poll scene in 1985, the Congress virtually had no major opposition save a handful of communist and socialist parties, besides a few Independents.

A statistical analysis of the election results since the first democratic exercise in 1952 when the state had 11 seats in the Lok Sabha, all of them were won by the Congress securing 53.2 per cent votes.

This was followed by victory in nine constituencies twice in 1957 and 1962 when the total number of constituencies going to the poll went up to 12, grossing 51.68 per cent and 45.18 per cent votes, respectively.

Polling 45.84 per cent of the ballots in 1967, the Congress won 10 of the 14 seats. The records of the 1971 polls are, however, not available with the election department here.

The next election in 1977 witnessed the triumph of 10 Congress candidates polling 48.75 per cent votes. In 1980 after the split of Congress, the Indira Gandhi faction won two of the seats that the elections were held for registering 51 per cent of the votes.

In the next 1983 controversial polls, the party won the five seats it contested in securing 72.57 per cent votes.