India, May 4 -- Assam held elections for its 126-member Legislative Assembly on April 9, with chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma seeking a second full term in office. Early trends showed him leading in the constituency. Sarma, who moved from the Congress party to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2015, has been the most watched figure in this year's contest.

Born in 1969 in Jorhat, Assam, Sarma entered politics through the Indian National Congress, where he served as a minister handling key departments including health, education, and finance under former CM Tarun Gogoi.

He was first elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly from Jalukbari in 2001 and has retained the seat ever since.

The Jalukbari constituency has served as Sarma's ...