Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismisses EVM allegations, confident of NDA win in Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: With vote counting for the Assam Assembly elections scheduled for May 4, political tensions have escalated over allegations of EVM tampering and concerns regarding strong room security. Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia on Sunday dismissed the opposition’s allegations, calling them an indication of their “acceptance of defeat.”

Addressing the media, Saikia said allegations related to electronic voting machines were not new and were being raised only because the opposition had realised its defeat was inevitable.

“The allegations of EVM tampering have become old now. They have realised that their defeat is final in the elections,” Saikia said. He also questioned why similar concerns were not raised in states where opposition parties had performed well.

The controversy has continued since polling was held on April 9, with opposition leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, raising concerns over the electoral process, EVMs, and strong room security.

Rejecting the opposition alliance’s claims of forming the next government, Saikia challenged them to justify their confidence.

“On what basis do they think the next government will be theirs? They should at least give three reasons. What were the issues they took to the people? They should clarify this first,” he said.

The BJP leader further accused the opposition of spreading “fake narratives” and claimed their confidence would collapse once the results are announced.

“They may claim to form the government till 10:30 pm or 11 pm tomorrow, but it is definite that the BJP-led NDA will form the government with nearly 100 seats,” Saikia asserted.

Taking a dig at a recent opposition meeting, he said the alliance “may not get further chances for their feast-politics.”

Citing internal party assessments and booth-level data, Saikia expressed confidence that BJP alone would win over 80 seats, while allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodo People’s Front (BPF) could add around 20 more seats, pushing the NDA tally close to 100.

“We have indications that people voted with a pro-establishment mindset. From booth-level committees and Form 17C data, we are hopeful of securing over 80 seats for BJP alone,” he said.

Referring to previous election performances, Saikia highlighted that the BJP secured 33.6 percent votes across 60 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections, while the NDA recorded a combined vote share of 44 percent. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said BJP secured 37.9 percent votes across nine seats, while the NDA won 11 seats with a combined vote share of 40.4 percent.

For the 2026 Assembly polls, BJP contested 90 seats, while AGP and BPF contested 26 and 11 seats respectively.

Highlighting governance achievements, Saikia said the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state leadership had delivered “unprecedented development” over the past five years and resolved several long-pending issues.

Also Read: Assam Assembly Elections: BJP’s Dilip Saikia Predicts Historic NDA Win on Back of High Indigenous Voter Turnout