Assam assembly elections 2016
Assam assembly elections 2016IANS

May 19

UPDATE: 4:07 p.m. IST — The BJP has maintained the earlier trend and is leading in 34 seats while it has won 28 already. The Congress has won 12 and is leading in 12.

UPDATE: 11:21 a.m. IST — The BJP and its alliance is leading the race in Assam in 72 seats, and the alliances of the Congress and AIUDF trail behind in 34 and 13 seats respectively.

UPDATE: 9:36 a.m. IST — The alliances of the BJP, which was projected as the winner by exit polls, is leading in 52 seats. The Congress that ruled for the last three years trails behind with 19 and AIUDF in 13.

UPDATE: 9:29 a.m. IST — The alliances of the BJP is leading in 44 seats, the Congress in 14 and All India United Democratic Front or AIUDF in 13.

UPDATE: 9:27 a.m. IST — The BJP chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal is leading from Majuli constituency and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi from Titabor, according to ANI.

UPDATE: 9:25 a.m. IST — In Assam, the BJP is leading in 39 seats, Congress in 15 and All India United Democratic Front or AIUDF in 13.

UPDATE: 9:14 a.m. IST — Dibrugarh, Moran, Lahoal and Tingkhong constituencies are among the seats in Assam where the BJP is leading, Asian News International reported.

UPDATE: 9:12 a.m. IST — The BJP is leading in 27 seats while the Congress in 12.

UPDATE: 9:06 a.m. IST — The BJP is ahead in 25 seats and the Congress has been leading in 9 so far.

UPDATE: 8:59 a.m. IST — The BJP is leading in 17 seats while the Congress in 7, NDTV reported.

Original Story —

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi might not return for a fourth term after the 2016 Assembly elections, as exit polls have predicted victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But the final result will be decided only after the votes have been counted on Thursday, May 19.

The process of counting will begin at 8 a.m. and end by 3 p.m., but a clear picture of seat-sharing would begin by noon, according to the Press Trust of India. Postal ballots would be counted first and counting of votes from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) would begin after a half-an-hour break, the Election Commission has instructed.

Elections to 126 seats of the Legislative Assembly of Assam were held in two phases — April 4 and 11. The voter turnout in the first phase was over 78 percent and more than 82 percent in second phase. Violence was reported during the second phase of the elections.

The exit polls that came out after the elections were completed in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry on May 16 show the BJP might make a debut in Assam with 73 seats, according to the average of the exit polls. Gogoi's Congress is projected to win only 37 seats.

Gogoi has, however, dismissed the results of the exit polls and was quoted as saying by Shillong Times: "Exit polls conducted after 2011 Assembly election, too, had predicted an ouster of the Congress from power in Assam, but we won in an overwhelming manner. This time also I believe that the Congress will be able to form the government in Assam after poll results are out on May 19."

Key candidates in Assam 

Gogoi and Rajib Lochan Pegu from the Congress, Sarbananda Sonowal, Prasanta Phukan and Himanta Biswa Sarma from the BJP, Badruddin Ajmal from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), and Prafulla Mahanta and Atul Bora from Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) are among the key players in the 2016 Assembly elections in Assam.

The BJP has fielded Sonowal, who contested the elections from Majuli, as its chief ministerial candidate.