Congress retains Assam with marginally reduced percentage

Assam retained its image as a traditional Congress state in the Lok Sabha election, though it conceded two seats and its vote percentage marginally declined to 38.26 per cent from 39.45 per cent in 2004.

Assam retained its image as a traditional Congress state in the Lok Sabha election, though it conceded two seats and its vote percentage marginally declined to 38.26 per cent from 39.45 per cent in 2004.

HT Image

Every Lok Sabha election since Assam first went to the general elections in 1952, the Congress has emerged as the major winner.

Even when the state was ruled by the regional AGP for two terms in 1985 and 1995, the Congress continued to be a formidable opponent for all political parties.

The Congress, which contested 13 of the 14 seats this time, won in seven, losing the rest to BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and new regional party the Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), garnering 47.48 per cent of the ballots, according to election office records here.

The Congress's heavyweight and union minister Santosh Mohan Dev lost in Silchar due to the entry of the AUDF which took away a major chunk of Congress minority votes.

Another major Congress loss was Tezpur which was attributed to the controversies and allegations of non-performance surrounding its contestant sitting MP Mani Kumar Subba.