The Assam Congress on Friday said the BJP was unable to turn its slogan Dispur zar, panchayat tar (panchayat belongs to those in Dispur) into reality as it obtained less than 50 per cent of the seats in the rural polls.

Speaking to reporters at Rajiv Bhawan, the Congress headquarters here, PCC general secretaries and senior spokespersons Mukul Sarma and Durga Das Bodo said the BJP had not been able to wipe out the Congress, the Opposition party in the state, as the Congress, as the ruling party, had done in 2013 panchayat election. The Congress had swept 80 per cent of the seats.

“The BJP has not been able to capitalise on the fact that they are in power both in Delhi and Dispur. This was the trend when we were in power in the Centre and the state. The Congress used to rout the Opposition but the BJP has not been able to wipe us out. They have not managed 50 per cent of the seats, according to the results declared till noon, despite using money and muscle power, and flying around in helicopters and violation of the model code of conduct by the chief minister and his colleagues. They should have got around 70 to 80 per cent of the seats. Fraudulent means have been adopted by ordering recounting in several seats,” Sarma said.

He said the Congress was making a comeback of sorts and thanked the people for reposing faith in the party’s ability to provide a clean and efficient administration.

“We have achieved good results compared to the number of our legislators. The home turfs of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, Congress president Ripun Bora and other leaders have responded well,” he added.

Bodo said, “Though the BJP tries to portray itself as a clean party, all they have done is indulge in mud-slinging and playing dirty politics. Both the AGP and the BJP were not in favour of holding the panchayat elections and it was due to the order of the high court that it was held. This reflects their helpless condition.”

Former Congress minister Bhumidhar Barman alleged that rigging was attempted in several polling centres and a voter was caught with fake ballot papers marked in favour of the BJP.