Silchar, May 4: BJP candidate and Minister Kaushik Rai is set for a landslide victory in the Lakhipur Assembly constituency, with trends after 12 rounds placing him far ahead of his nearest rival and underscoring the party's strong showing across the Barak Valley.
After 14 rounds, Rai bagged 106700 votes, while congress candidate Dr M Santi Kumar Singha managed 24,048 votes stretching the margin to 82,652 votes.
With only a couple of rounds remaining, the outcome in Lakhipur appears all but certain.
Reacting to the surge, Rai termed the result a "clear mandate for development" and credited the electorate's trust in the BJP government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
"The people of Lakhipur have voted for development and the work carried out over the past five years. This lead reflects that trust. I express my heartfelt gratitude to every voter and assure them that we will work even harder in the next five years," he told The Assam Tribune.
Highlighting the broader regional trend, Rai drew a parallel with the BJP's performance in 1991, saying the party is on course to improve its strike rate in the Barak Valley.
"We had said Barak would break records, and that is what we are witnessing. In 1991, the BJP won 9 out of 15 seats. This time, we are set to win 9 out of 13 seats, achieving an even stronger strike rate. This reflects people's faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister and the BJP," he said.
Rai also expressed confidence that the BJP will return to power in Assam for a third consecutive term.
"The BJP is set to form the government for the third consecutive term in Assam. Crossing the majority mark on its own and securing over 100 seats with NDA allies shows the scale of public support. The results clearly indicate a strong and stable mandate," he said.
Looking ahead, Rai said the focus would be on accelerating development in the Barak Valley.
"Together, we will work to ensure faster implementation of projects and take Barak towards greater growth and prosperity," he added.