Early trends from the Assam Legislative Assembly election counting on this day four decades ago indicated a decisive shift in the state’s political landscape, with the newly formed Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) emerging in the lead.
According to reports available at the time, the AGP was ahead in around 40 constituencies, while the ruling Congress (I) trailed with leads in 27 seats. Other parties also made their presence felt, with the United Minority Front (UMF) leading in 12 constituencies, the CPI(M) in five, and the Regional Plains Tribal Council of Assam in four.
However, officials cautioned that these figures represented early trends, as in many constituencies only about 20 per cent of the votes had been counted. Despite the partial counting, the indications pointed towards a strong public mandate for the AGP, a party born out of the six-year-long Assam Movement against illegal immigration.
The election was the first major political test after the signing of the historic Assam Accord in August 1985, which ended the agitation led by student and youth organisations. The emergence of AGP reflected popular expectations that the leadership of the movement would now translate its promises into governance.
As counting progressed through the day, political observers noted that the results signalled the possible end of Congress’s prolonged dominance in the state and the rise of a powerful regional alternative. The trends of December 18 would later be confirmed, as the AGP went on to secure a clear majority and form the government, with Prafulla Kumar Mahanta assuming office as Chief Minister.
The developments of that day remain a landmark in Assam’s political history, marking a moment when a mass movement transformed into an electoral force and reshaped the state’s democratic narrative.
- Log in to post comments
