Assam

The common thread that ran across all states where assemblyelections were held this month was anti incumbency andAssam, unlike West Bengal, was no exception. The ruling AGPand its eleventh hour ally, the BJP, were comprehensively routedby the Congress. The latter romped home with 70 seats in the125 member state assembly, while the AGP BJP alliance had tomake do with less than half that number.

Profulla Mahanta, AGP president and state chief minister tillthe AGP’s electoral rout, had been a beleaguered man after theelections were announced in February. Pollsters’ predictions ofwidespread anti incumbency sentiment working against the rulingAGP served to underscore the very real lack of development,increasing militant violence and attacks on minorities that markedthe Mahanta government’s last months in power. To add toMahanta’s woes, the run up to the elections saw an ill fatedalliance with the BJP, largely seen as opportunistic by many inthe AGP and the BJP state unit as well; a border skirmish thatclaimed the lives of 16 BSF men; attacks on AGP and BJP cadresby the ULFA; even the weather, with the rains calling an earlyend to several campaign meetings, worked against him.