Mr. Tarun Gogoi was elected for the third time with a clear majority as the Congress party in Assam won 78 out of the 126 seats. As Tarun Gogoi starts his new tenure, this being his third one, he has matched the record of Bimla Prasad Chaliya, the former Chief Minister has set.

Mr. Gogoi having recovered the coveted seat of power in Assam clearly shows that the two main opposition parties namely the BJP and the Asom Gana Parishad have lost their bases while the AIUDF is making its presence felt in the state. The Muslim dominated party which represents a sizable percentage of the common men in Assam has fared well in the recently concluded Assam elections as it has won 18 seats, thereby making it the second largest party to be represented in the Assam Legislative Assembly.

It may be mentioned here that the Muslim community in Assam constitutes a sizable portion of the population to the tune of 30% of the total electorate. It has been alleged time and again that a major chunk of this Muslim population is comprised of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh which is playing an active role in Assam politics. This is a cause for serious concern for the indigenous Assamese population which is struggling to preserve its culture, identity and language.

It may be noted here that the issue of immigration or let us say Muslim migration from Bangladesh was a hot issue since 1826. However, the issue seems to have lost its significance as the people now are more interested in developmental initiatives.

The 5 years of governance under the leadership of Tarun Gogoi shows many such developmental schemes, the list of which is long to say the least. Setting up of four medical colleges in the state and upgrading the entire health system are prime examples of this. So is the investment in the social sector.

However, it must be said that such an overwhelming victory was not expected even by the top Congress party leaders. Nonetheless, the thumping victory has strengthened the image of Tarun Gogoi as well as the expectations of the people of Assam.