New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday that the two allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state — Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) will contest 26 Assembly seats, while its ally Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) will field candidates in 11 Assembly constituencies in the upcoming polls, leaving the rest 89 seats for the BJP, indicating the finalisation of ongoing seat-sharing negotiations within the alliance.

Speaking after a BJP central election committee meeting in the national capital, Chief Minister Sarma noted that discussions on seat adjustments are progressing and the alliance will soon finalise its strategy for the elections.

“The AGP will contest 26 seats, while 11 seats will be contested by the BPF. We are working on a coordinated approach to ensure a strong performance,” he said.

The Assam Assembly has 126 seats and according to the Chief Minister, the BJP will contest in 89 seats.

The announcement comes amid intensified political activity in Assam, with parties working to finalise alliances and candidate lists ahead of the Assembly elections.

In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had returned to power with a comfortable majority, winning 75 out of 126 seats.

The BJP alone secured 60 seats, emerging as the single largest party in the state Assembly, while its ally AGP won nine seats.

The seat-sharing arrangement during the 2021 Assembly polls had seen the BJP contest 92 seats, leaving 26 seats for the AGP and eight for the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) as part of the alliance framework.

The NDA’s victory in 2021 marked a significant political milestone, as it became the first non-Congress alliance to retain power consecutively in Assam.

The seat-sharing remains a crucial factor in Assam’s electoral politics, particularly in regions like Bodoland, where regional parties such as the BPF hold considerable influence.

The BJP has been actively engaging with its allies to fine-tune the electoral strategy, while also seeking to expand its footprint across Assembly constituencies.

The BJP will also announce candidate list for the upcoming Assembly polls on Wednesday as mentioned by Chief Minister Sarma.

The elections for the 126-member Assembly elections will be held on April 9 and the counting of votes will take place on May 4.

–IANS

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