Guwahati: The Congress stormed back to power in Assam for the third consecutive time securing an absolute majority by bagging 78 seats in the 126-member Assembly.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi not only won by a handsome margin of 54,514 votes but also ensured that most of his cabinet colleagues emerged victorious.
The main opposition led by the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) had a poor showing winning only ten seats while the BJP settled for five.
The AGP suffered massive reverses with its top leaders, including Party President Chandra Mohan Patowary and former two-time chief minister Prafulla Mahanta, former party President Brindabon Goswami and Vice President Thaneswar Boro biting dust.
Mahanta, however, managed to retain the Baharampur seat for the sixth consecutive term.
Congress ally, the Bodo Peoples Front (BPF) had a creditable figure of 12 while the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) opened its accont by winning one seat.
Besides Gogoi from Titabor constituency, his cabinet colleagues Himanta Biswa Sarma, Rockybul Hussain, Pradyut Bordoloi and Bhumidhar Barman were among other prominent Congress winners.
The only disappointment for the Congress was the loss of two ministers--Culture and Sports Minister Bharat Chandra Narah from Dhakuakhana and Irrigation Minister Nurjamal Sarkar from Bishwanath.
The minority-dominated All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) won 18 seats to become the single largest party after the Congress.
The ruling improved their position considerably this time after winning only 52 seats in the last house while the AGP had 24 and BJP and AIUDF ten each.
Chief minister Gogoi said the new government will be formed before May 19 when the term of the present government expires.
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