Guwahati: With just a day left for vote counting, the Congress-led opposition alliance in Assam held a crucial strategy meeting in Guwahati on Saturday, expressing strong confidence that the ruling NDA government would be voted out when results are declared on May 4.
The closed-door meeting was held at Hotel Ratnavali and brought together senior national and regional leaders, including Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress election observer D.K. Shivakumar, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, AICC Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi,Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi,Left leaders,and APHLC president John Ingti Kathar.
Alliance leaders also discussed counting-day preparedness, booth-level monitoring, and steps to prevent alleged irregularities at counting centres. Several senior candidates and party functionaries attended the meeting.
After the discussions,leaders jointly claimed that voter sentiment across Assam had clearly shifted in favour of the opposition alliance.
Gaurav Gogoi said people across regions had voted for change.He added that any attempts to influence polling were countered by party workers and citizens, and complaints were raised with authorities.He also dismissed exit polls favouring the NDA, calling them misleading and disconnected from ground reality.
D.K. Shivakumar said the alliance was fully prepared for counting day. He expressed confidence that Assam would see a change in government and added that legal teams and a monitoring system were already in place to ensure transparency and protect every vote.
Jitendra Singh alleged misuse of money power and intimidation during the campaign but praised the state Congress leadership for a strong fight. He also questioned the repeated involvement of top BJP leaders in campaigning.
Akhil Gogoi predicted a decisive opposition victory, claiming that the alliance could cross 70 seats. Lurinjyoti Gogoi rejected projections of a BJP sweep, saying past results and current public anger showed a different trend.APHLC president John Ingti Kathar also expressed optimism about strong performance in hill districts, saying voters backed change after understanding ground realities.