 "West Bengal elections")
The ruling BJP-led NDA is leading on 33 seats, while the Grand Alliance led by the Congress is ahead on eight assembly constituencies, elections officials said on Sunday.
According to the Election Commission's initial trends of the results, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is leading on 27 seats while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on six seats and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) on six.
The Congress has established initial leads only on five seats while its partners Bodoland Peoples Front on two seats and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on one seat.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and AGP chief and minister Atul Bora are leading from Majuli, Jalukbari and Bokakhat seats respectively.
Congress Legislative Party leader and his deputy Debabrata Saikia and Rakibul Hussain both are trailing from Nazira and Samaguri respectively.
The counting of votes for 126 Assembly seats in Assam for which polling was held in three phases began on Sunday morning in 34 districts amid tight security measures and all Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
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Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nitin Khade said counting of votes are being held in 50 Election Districts (34 administrative districts) and there are three tiers of security put in place in and around the counting centres and adjoining areas.
"To maintain Covid protocols and guidelines issued by the Election Commission, numbers of counting halls have been increased by 131 per cent -- from 143 in 2016 Assembly election to 331 this time," the CEO said.
In all, 946 candidates including 74 female candidates of different political parties including BJP and Congress contested the elections.
Sunday's polling outcome would decide the electoral fate of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (Majuli), BJP's northeast region points man and Finance, Health, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (Jalukbari), Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami (Jorhat), ruling BJP's state President Ranjeet Kumar Dass (Patacharkuchi), Congress President Ripun Bora (Gohpur), party's Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia (Nazira), Asom Gana Parishad chief and minister Atul Bora (Bokakhat), jailed Raijor Dal President and prominent peasant leader Akhil Gogoi (Sibsagar) and Assam Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Duliajan).
--IANS
sc/rt
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