GUWAHATI, May 19 - The gloom was evident among Congress supporters right from the time television channels started beaming early trends of the results of the Assembly polls.
By noon, the sense of despondency had gripped Rajiv Bhawan � the Congress party headquarters � with party supporters seen leaving the premises in groups, while a few optimistic ones remained glued to the common television set telecasting election updates.
Located on the bustling GS Road, Rajiv Bhawan by late evening had visibly resigned to the fact with a deserted look. Except a cluster of security personnel, the Congress headquarters had nothing to show.
A Congress office-bearer, requesting anonymity, said that the fate was somewhat anticipated by the party. For a few others, however, the margin of drubbing came as a shock.
�We knew that we would lose seats compared to last time, but did not expect such a drubbing. We had made arrangements for illumination which, it seems, would not be required now,� he said.
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) headquarters at Hatigaon here too wore a deserted look.
The party, which was looking to play the role of �king-maker� in the government formation process, instead saw its strength in the Assembly fall. None of the senior AIUDF leaders was present at the party head office. Less than a dozen party workers and some mediapersons were present at the office and most of them were glued to the TV set.
When the initial trends started to emerge, some middle-run AIUDF leaders were still confident that the party would be able to make up as the counting progressed. Around 10 am, AIUDF publicity secretary Haidor Hussain Bora and spokesman and general secretary Champak Kalita spoke to The Assam Tribune over phone. They said that the party expected to make a good impact when all the results were tabulated.
However, as the counting progressed and the results from most of the constituencies emerged, AIUDF workers at the head office admitted that the party has performed below expectations. There were some cheers when the result from Jamunamukh constituency was announced and party MLA Abdur Rahim Ajmal was declared winner. However, news from South Salmara, where party supremo Badruddin Ajmal lost, cast a pall of gloom in the party office. By late afternoon, the Hatigaon office was virtually empty.
