Assam Elections 2011: Congress heading for victory

GUWAHATI: The Congress in Assam is set to return to power for the third consecutive term leading comfortably in 75 constituencies in the 126-seat Assembly.

Its alliance partner Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) has also performed creditably in the Bodoland districts leading in 12 constituencies.

The Congress appears to be in a position to form government on its own without the support of other parties, though Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said the "BPF would continue to be a part of the government as it had helped it in difficult times".

The AGP and BJP were leading in only seven and three seats, respectively.

The AIUDF is leading in 15 seats, while CPI(M),CPI and NCP are yet to open their accounts, according to trends for 112 seats available.

Gogoi is leading in Titabor along with his cabinet colleagues Bhumidhar Barman (Barkhetri), Nurjamal Sarkar (Biswanath), Nazrul Islam (Lahorighat), Himanta Biswa Sarma (Jalukbari), Gautam Bora (Batadraba), Pradyut Bordoloi (Margharita), Ajanta Neog (Golaghat), Akan Bora (Dispur), Bharat Narah (Dhakuwakhana), Prithivi Majhi (Lahowal) are the prominent Congress candidates ahead in the electoral race.

Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai (Barchalla) and deputy speaker Pranati Phukan (Naharkatia) are also leading.

AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary (Dharmapur), former pressident Brindaban Goswami (Tezpur), party general secretary Hiten Goswami (Jorhat), sitting Nalbari MLA Alaka Desai Sarma are trailing.

BJP state unit president and Bihali sitting MLA Ranjit Dutta, Karimganj North sitting MLA and leader of the party in the assembly Mission Ranjan Das and Dibrugarh sitting party MLA Prasanta Phukan are trailing.

Former two-time chief minister and opposition leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is leading in his home constituency Baharampur, but is trailing in Samaguri behind forest minister Rockybul Hussain.