The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was leading in 36 Assembly seats while the Congress-led opposition alliance was ahead in 10 constituencies in the early rounds of counting for the Assam Assembly elections on Monday, 4 May, according to initial trends from Guwahati.

Early Trends and Key Leads

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was leading from the Jalukbari Assembly constituency, providing an early boost to the ruling alliance as counting progressed across the state. The initial numbers, however, represent only the first rounds of a lengthy counting process covering all 126 Assembly constituencies.

Counting Arrangements Across the State

Counting is being conducted at 40 centres spread across Assam's 35 districts. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from all 126 constituencies had been secured in strongrooms under round-the-clock surveillance ahead of the process. Authorities have made special arrangements in districts with larger constituencies — Nagaon has three separate counting venues, while Kokrajhar, Tinsukia, and Jorhat each have two counting centres.

Security Arrangements

A multi-layered security framework has been put in place to ensure smooth counting. Twenty-five companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed to guard counting centres and strongrooms. Around 800 unarmed police personnel are engaged in transporting EVMs from storage locations to counting halls under supervision.

Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel had earlier confirmed that two additional CAPF companies would remain on static reserve duty. Additionally, 93 companies of the State Armed Police have been stationed across districts, and authorities have arranged 85 special assault teams to respond swiftly to any untoward incidents.

Election at a Glance

Polling for the Assam Assembly elections was held on 9 April, recording an impressive voter turnout of 85.96% from an electorate of more than 2.50 crore. A total of 722 candidates are in the fray, including 59 women contenders. The Congress fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) contested 30 seats.

Among NDA allies, the Asom Gana Parishad fielded 26 candidates while the Bodo Peoples' Front contested 11 seats. Within the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal fielded 13 candidates, Assam Jatiya Parishad contested 10, CPI(M) three, and the All Party Hill Leaders Conference two seats. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and United People's Party Liberal contested 18 seats each, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) fielded 22, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha contested 16. There are also 258 Independent candidates in the fray.

What to Watch Next

As counting advances through later rounds, the final seat tally will determine whether the NDA secures a majority in the 126-seat Assam Assembly, where a party or alliance needs 64 seats to form the government. All eyes remain on swing constituencies and the performance of smaller alliance partners.