PM Modi to Hold 3 Assam Rallies in April as BJP Eyes Third Term

Other than PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also expected to attend several election events and hold multiple rallies in six regions of the country, sources said.

This comes after the Election Commission on Sunday announced elections in Assam for all 126 Assembly constituencies in a single phase on April 9, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. Assam will witness a fight between the incumbent BJP-led NDA government and Congress for the 126-seat assembly. The BJP government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, will look to secure a third consecutive term, while the Congress aims to defeat the ruling party to return to power.

On Tuesday, Assam CM Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the BJP would announce its assembly poll candidates after a meeting of the party's Parliamentary Board and that the party's allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) will contest 26 and 11 seats respectively.

Assam has 126 assembly seats, and the BJP is expected to contest 89 seats.

"The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) will contest 26 seats, the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) 11 seats, and the BJP the remaining seats. Today, we had preliminary discussions regarding our party list. Tomorrow is our Parliamentary Board meeting. I think the list will be announced late tomorrow night or the next morning," Sarma told reporters in the national capital.

Earlier in the day, former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi joined the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam BJP President Dilip Saikia.

Bordoloi has accused the Congress leadership of sidelining him, which led to the end of his lifelong association with the Congress party amid allegations of internal mistreatment.

He clarified that the resignation stemmed from "multiple issues" as opposed to a singular ticket allocation for the Assam Assembly elections.

"For me, getting a ticket was not a question of life and death. There were multiple issues. What was important for me was to hold my head high. The Congress party has given me a lot," he told the media.

"I want to make it very clear that I am in my second term in Lok Sabha, and there are another three years to go. I could have accepted the humiliation if I wanted to remain as an MP. But I decided to leave and work," he added.

- ANI