Morigaon/Nagaon, Aug. 18: The ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP have pulled out all stops to woo voters in tomorrow's Tiwa Autonomous Council polls. But it is Ramakanta Deuri's Tiwa Oikya Mancha which has emerged as the dark horse.
Polling will be held in 30 constituencies - 19 in Morigaon and 11 in Nagaon districts - from 8am. Around 2.15 lakh voters will decide the fate of 122 candidates in what is going to be a keen contest.
The Assam State Election Commission, which banned opinion polls and any discussion on the Tiwa polls, said it expects a "huge and peaceful" turnout.
Most poll rallies had attracted huge crowds. A carnival-like atmosphere prevailed in the run-up to the polls, something missing in the last Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
"In most constituencies, we will see a triangular contest among the BJP, the Congress and the Tiwa Oikya Mancha," Tiwa leader Mileswar Pator said.
Tiwa Oikya Mancha, a platform for Tiwa regional groups, was floated by Deuri soon after he was removed from the post of chief executive member of the council last year. Observers said the Mancha is looking good in most constituencies in Morigaon and Nagaon districts.
A senior Congressman said they were confident of forming the council but were wary of the role Deuri, a former Congressman, may play after the polls. "You can never be sure with him around," he said.
The Congress had emerged as the single largest party in the first autonomous council election in 2010. It had won 19 seats, with Pranabjyoti Machrang-led Gana Mancha, another regional outfit, bagging six. The Gana Mancha will pose a challenge in some constituencies this time too.
Factors such as corruption, failure to fulfil demands such as bringing the council under the Sixth Schedule, to solve the problem of the council's six constituencies in Kamrup district during the 15 years of Congress rule and infighting among the leadership have made it tough for the Congress to maintain its vote bank in the rural areas of central Assam.
Manuranjan Bordoloi, a resident of Phulaguri in Nagaon district, said, "As many as 50 revenue villages of Morigaon and Nagaon districts are yet to be included in the council. This has also led to dissatisfaction against the Congress."
The Congress, under PCC president Anjan Dutta, has tried to reach out to the voters. He campaigned with former minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to send an "all is well within the party" message.
During its campaign, the Congress highlighted the "unkept" promises of Narendra Modi, such as on foreigners, land-swap deal and black money to wean away voters from the BJP.
It also harped on the pro-poor work done by the Tarun Gogoi government to win over the poor and the farmers who have a significant presence in the council.
"The BJP, after coming to power in Delhi, has been influential in semi-urban areas. But Deuri's party, in comparison with the others, is influential everywhere," said Maniram Deka, a voter at Pukhuripar in Nagaon district.
The BJP raised the issue of corruption under Congress rule. It also wooed voters with the claim that it would form the government after the 2016 Assembly poll.
Like Dutta, BJP state president Siddhartha Bhattacharya has also campaigned extensively, the party raising the issue of corruption under the Congress rule and how the council will benefit if the BJP forms the government after the 2016 Assembly polls.
