BJP Leading In Early Phase; Ballot-paper Lost in Hojai

Guwahati, December 12, 2018:

BJP has surged ahead in the Panchayat election, with the Congress and

AGP snipping at their heels. Leading in all categories, they have been able to

dispel concerns regarding the public’s declining approval of Sarbananda

Sonowal’s government. With the counting underway since 8 am in the morning, the

BJP has witnessed strong results in areas such as Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and the

CM’s native Majuli.

BJP is also leading in all categories, namely- Zilla Parishad member

seats, Anchalik Panchayat member seats, Gaon Panchayat president seats and Gaon

panchayat ward members. Before the Lok Sabha elections due next year, these

preliminaries are seen as semifinals before the two political juggernauts, the

Congress and BJP, square off next year.

Meanwhile, a situation in

developing in Sutargaon, the 10^th Gaon Panchayat in Hojai, with

a ballot paper containing 560 votes, missing. It is worth mentioning that after

earlier counting had resulted in a stalemate between the Congress and BJP, and

the missing ballot paper would have been the decisive one in the election.