GUWAHATI, April 11 - Both the ruling NDA and the opposition Congress today exuded optimism about doing well in the five constituencies of the State which went to the polls in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections today.
While the BJP claimed that the ruling alliance would make a clean sweep and win all the five seats, the principal opposition party said it is confident of emerging victorious from three-four of the constituencies.
�From the feedback we have received, we are confident that our alliance will win five out of the five,� said State BJP general secretary (Organisation) Phanindranath Sarma.
He added, �The electorate of Assam have witnessed the developmental activities carried out by the Central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the State government headed by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Therefore, the people have come out spontaneously to vote for us.�
He said that the NDA regime has given special attention to development of the North East and people of this region have appreciated it. �We are confident of doing well in the next two phases as well,� said Sarma.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia was optimistic that the Congress had put up a good show in the five constituencies that went to the polls today.
�Our performance will be much better than in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. We will win minimum three to four of the constituencies of phase 1,� Saikia said.
He claimed that the electorate of Assam have become disillusioned with the Modi government. �The government has failed to perform. It failed to fulfil any of the commitments it made,� said Saikia, who is also the Leader of the State Congress Legislature Party (CLP).
Saikia added, �We will perform well in the next two phases as well.�
Five constituencies of Assam � Lakhimpur, Tezpur, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Kaliabor � went to the polls in the first phase today.
In the last parliamentary elections held in 2014, the BJP had emerged victorious from Lakhimpur, Tezpur, Dibrugarh and Jorhat constituencies, while the Kaliabor seat had gone to the Congress.
Unlike in 2014, this time the BJP has an alliance with the AGP and the BPF, as well as with three other smaller local parties.
As part of the seat-sharing arrangement among the NDA constituents, BJP has fielded candidates from Lakhimpur, Tezpur, Dibrugarh and Jorhat, while the Kaliabor seat has been allotted to the AGP. On the other hand, the Congress is contesting from all the five constituencies.
