Guwahati, May 4 (IANS) Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi was trailing behind BJP rival Hitendra Nath Goswami after the first round of counting in Assam’s Jorhat Assembly constituency on Monday.

According to early trends, Goswami secured 4,993 votes, taking a lead of 1,056 votes, while Gogoi polled 3,937 votes in the opening round of counting.

Officials said that only one out of the 14 rounds of counting has been completed so far, and the margin is likely to fluctuate as more rounds are taken up.

The Jorhat seat remains a key battleground, with both parties closely tracking the evolving trends.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was leading from the Jalukbari Assembly constituency seat, giving an early boost to the ruling alliance as counting progressed across the state amid tight security arrangements.

The BJP-led NDA was leading in 80 Assembly seats, while the Congress-led opposition alliance was ahead in 26 constituencies in the early rounds of counting for the Assembly elections.

Polling for the Assembly elections was held on April 9, with an impressive voter turnout of 85.96 per cent from an electorate of more than 2.50 crore.

A total of 722 candidates are in the fray, including 59 women contenders. The Congress fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) contested 30 seats. Among NDA allies, the Asom Gana Parishad fielded 26 candidates, while the Bodo Peoples’ Front contested 11 seats.

Within the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal fielded 13 candidates, Assam Jatiya Parishad contested 10, CPI(M) three, and the All Party Hill Leaders Conference two seats. Other parties in the contest include the Aam Aadmi Party and United People’s Party Liberal with 18 seats each, the Trinamool Congress with 22, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha with 16. There are also 258 Independent candidates.

–IANS

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