Assam election results: Highest and lowest margin, the man behind BJP’s historic win

How the historic elections went down in Assam

BJP chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal at a victory procession after the party’s thumping win the Assam Assembly polls, in Guwahati on Thursday. (PTI Photo)

The BJP on Thursday won the elections to form its first government in the northeast, ousting the Congress in Assam after its 15-year uninterrupted rule.

BJP chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal expressed happiness over the results and said the party would put in its best efforts to fulfill the expectations of the people of Assam.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi accepted defeat and said the party will play the role of a constructive opposition in the Assam legislative assembly in the coming days.

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Read: Behind BJP’s Assam win, lessons from Delhi, Bihar, a ‘dream alliance’

Here are some facts about how the historic elections went down in Assam:

The Wide

1,30,197 votes
Atul Bora (BJP) scored the highest victory margin. He defeated Akon Bora (Congress) in Dispur

The Narrow

42 votes
Kishore Nath (BJP) scored the narrowest victory. He defeated Misbahul Islam Laskar (Independent) in Barkhola

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Opinion: BJP victory could be Assam’s best chance to resolve the immigration issue

The Incumbent

17,495 votes
The margin by which Tarun Gogoi won in Titabar, where he was challenged by BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa

The Turnout

85%
Voting turnout in two phases of Assam polls, up from 76 per cent in 2011

Phase-Wise

48 & 38

Assam_phase graph The seats won by the BJP-led alliance in the two phases of polling. It won 73% of the seats (48 of 65) in the first phase in upper Assam and Barak valley, followed by 62% (38 of 61) in the second phase in lower and central Assam, belying projections that thes econd phase hadn’t gone well.

Himanta’s MLAs score: 7 out of 7

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Led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, seven of the 10 sitting MLAs who left the Congress won on BJP tickets. The other three — Rajen Borthakur, Abu Taher Bepari and Jayanta Mallah Barua — did not contest.

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Pradan Baruah

* Pradan Baruah (Jonai) won in Dhemaji
* Pallab Lochan Das (Behali) won in Rangapara
* Pijush Hazarika (Raha) won in Jagiroad
* Bolin Chetia retained Sadiya
* Binanda Saikia retained Sipajhar
* Kripanath Mallah retained Ratabari
* Himanta himself retained Jalukbari, winning by 85,935 votes

Read: The new duo in BJP backroom

Minister Meter

Ghatowar and 11 ministers lose

Former Union minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar lost his seat. So did eight of Assam’s 14 cabinet ministers — Basanta Das, Siddique Ahmed, Atwa Munda, Sarat Borkotoky, Gautam Roy, Khorsing Engti, Chandan Sarkar and Ajit Singh — as well as all three ministers of state — Girindra Malik, Bismita Gogoi and Sumitra Patir.

The Ajmals

The Kingmaker falls

Baduruddin Ajmal Chief of All India United Democratic Front. (File/Express)

AIUDF chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal suffered a shock defeat in South Salmara to Wazed Ali Choudhury of the Congress. But his son Abdur Rahim Ajmal entered the assembly by winning in Jamunamukh, where he defeated his nearest independent rival by 13,205 votes. The party won 13 seats.

Read: Nepotism, loss of blue-eyed boy hurt Congress

NOTA count

1,88,978
1.1% of total votes polled