Raha, Nov 23: The seventh round of vote counting is underway in Samaguri and Congress’ Tanzil Hussain is leading with 4,965 votes as of 1 pm on Saturday.

Speaking to the press during the counting of votes, Hussain acknowledged the numerous challenges the constituency faced in the lead-up to the by-poll, including violence and a lack of support from the administration.

“Despite the challenges, including violence and the lack of support from the administration, I am deeply grateful to the voters for their trust in our party. After the final results are declared, I am confident that Congress will emerge victorious in Samaguri,” Hussain said.

The Congress candidate expressed appreciation for the high voter turnout of 78% in the constituency, calling it a strong message of faith in democracy. "The voters have shown great faith in the democratic process, and this is an encouraging sign for our future," he added.

When asked about allegations of rigging, Hussain remained optimistic, stating that such claims would not affect Congress's chances of victory.

Meanwhile, as the counting of votes began at 8 am, initial trends showed BJP's Diplu Ranjan Sarma in the lead. Sarma, speaking to the press, expressed confidence in his party’s performance.

“We are leading not only in Assam but also in the Maharashtra assembly elections. Let’s wait for Congress to blame the EVMs once the results are declared," Sarma said.

Sarma also highlighted that his focus was on the development work carried out by the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“People in Samaguri have witnessed the development work of our government. They want better infrastructure and a peaceful environment, something they have been deprived of for years. This is why they have voted for the BJP," Sarma asserted.

As the vote counting continues, both candidates are awaiting the final results, with early trends pointing toward a close contest.