Assam polls: Akhil Gogoi urges strict strong room vigilance, questions exit poll reliability
Guwahati: Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi, who contested the Sivasagar seat in the recently held Assam Assembly elections, on Wednesday urged the opposition alliance to maintain strict vigilance over strong rooms ahead of the exit polls.
In a video message, Gogoi expressed certainity that the people of Assam have voted for change. “Raijor Dal and I are certain that in the 2026 elections, the people of Assam have voted to remove the BJP government,” he said. He further asserted that the opposition alliance is poised to form the next government, calling the expected outcome “a victory for the people.”
Gogoi accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of subjecting people to “atrocities, oppression, and threats,” adding that voters now seek to end its rule. He claimed there has been a unified mandate in favour of the opposition.
Questioning the reliability of exit polls, Gogoi said such surveys often favour incumbent governments. He pointed to their limited sample sizes, noting that only a few thousand respondents are surveyed across select polling stations. “They do not reflect the sentiment of the entire population. Taking them at face value is unscientific,” he said.
Drawing on his experience as an activist, Gogoi argued that public sentiment mirrors the desire for change seen in the 2016 elections. He also alleged that voters are reluctant to openly express anti-government views during surveys, which may skew exit poll projections in favour of the ruling National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP.
He urged alliance partners to remain patient and vigilant until the final results are declared.