Congress opens its Silchar account with Ward 30 win, BJP seeks recount in two wards

Congress has registered its first victory in the maiden Silchar Municipal Corporation election, with Sakshi Banik winning from Ward 30.

The result came amid a fresh dispute at the counting centre, with the Congress alleging that victory certificates have been withheld from two of its candidates despite their victories in Wards 31 and 41. The BJP, meanwhile, has demanded a recount in both wards, adding to tensions at the venue.

Congress leader Amit Kalwar alleged that the two Congress candidates had won their respective wards but had not been issued their victory certificates.

The BJP's demand for recounting has further intensified the dispute, with supporters of the two parties raising objections over the counting process and results.

The ruling BJP has maintained a strong lead across the corporation, winning 12 wards and leading in several others. Latest counting trends showed the BJP ahead in at least 35 wards, taking it well beyond the majority mark of 22 seats in the 42-member corporation.

The counting for the first-ever Silchar Municipal Corporation election began at 8 am on Monday after polling was held on October 3. The election recorded a final voter turnout of 70.22 per cent, with voting conducted in 40 of the corporation's 42 wards.

The remaining two wards were decided unopposed in favour of the BJP. Bijendra Prasad Singh was elected from Ward 9, while Bhakti Sen Talukdar won from Ward 20.

A total of 133 candidates contested the election. The BJP fielded candidates in 38 wards, while its ally AGP contested four. Congress also fielded candidates in 38 wards, while 52 Independents and one CPI(M) candidate were in the fray.

The election marked a significant political contest in Silchar as it was the first civic poll since the Silchar Municipal Board was upgraded to a 42-ward municipal corporation in 2022. The corporation became operational in June 2025, after the city remained without an elected civic body for six years.

The BJP-AGP alliance faced the Congress and a large number of Independent candidates across the corporation. Civic issues such as poor roads, inadequate drainage, waterlogging, erratic power supply and irregular drinking water supply dominated the campaign.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had also campaigned for NDA candidates ahead of the election and promised to improve Silchar's roads within a year.

With Sakshi Banik's victory giving Congress its first confirmed win and disputes emerging over the results in Wards 31 and 41, the counting process has become a closely watched contest between the ruling alliance and the opposition.