In Guwahati, Assam, the intense election campaign for the 126-member Assam Assembly concluded at 5 pm on Tuesday.
The polls, to be held on April 9, will determine the fate of 722 candidates.
BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, attacked the opposition Congress, accusing it of encouraging infiltrators to settle in Assam for vote bank purposes and failing to control insurgency and promote development and employment during its rule.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma intensified the campaign by directly targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims, calling them "Miyas," claiming that he had "broken their arms and legs" and would do so again in the next five years.
The ruling party asserted that it had provided land ownership rights to tea garden workers, empowerment schemes for women, financial assistance for female students, and reduced child marriage by 84%.
The BJP claimed that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented in the state to prevent polygamy and that development efforts would continue.
The opposition Congress and its allies accused the BJP of practicing "hate politics," indulging in widespread corruption, particularly by the Chief Minister and his family, promoting uneven development, and neglecting the concerns of popular singer Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore in September last year.
The Congress stated that if elected, it would address Garg's case, provide financial assistance to women, implement a health insurance scheme, and grant land rights to indigenous people.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and his wife of having links with Pakistan's spy agency, the ISI.
Meanwhile, the opposition party accused Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, of owning multiple passports, properties in Dubai, and assets in shell companies, which were not disclosed in his election affidavit.
While Modi, Shah, and other NDA leaders were in Assam to campaign for their candidates, Congress leaders like president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader Rahul Gandhi campaigned for the party.
Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Congress' Gaurav Gogoi, AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal, Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, senior ministers Ranoj Pegu, Chandramohan Patowary, Atul Bora, Keshav Mahanta, Ajanta Neog, Ashok Singhal, Raijor Dal's Akhil Gogoi, and AJP President Lurinjyoti Gogoi.
The main constituents of the ruling NDA are the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad, and the Bodo Peoples' Front, while the opposition alliance comprises the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI(M), All Party Hill Leaders Conference, and the CPI(ML).
This election will be conducted in a single phase, unlike previous elections which had multiple phases.
Prime Minister Modi visited Assam twice, addressing five rallies and interacting with women tea garden workers. He had also visited the state four times since December to launch and inaugurate various projects.
BJP's star campaigner, Amit Shah, also visited Assam thrice, addressing nine rallies and a roadshow in Guwahati, and had also visited four times since December.
BJP president Nitin Nabin, Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Rajnath Singh, Sarbananda Sonowal, J P Nadda, and Pabitra Margherita campaigned for party candidates, while Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the party manifesto.
Besides Congress' state president Gaurav Gogoi, national leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and party MPs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also campaigned for the nominees.
Other prominent leaders campaigning in the state include AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi for AIUDF, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren for JMM candidates.
The prominent candidates are the Chief Minister, Congress' Gaurav Gogoi, AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal, Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, senior ministers Ranoj Pegu, Chandramohan Patowary, Atul Bora, Keshav Mahanta, Ajanta Neog, Ashok Singhal, Raijor Dal's Akhil Gogoi, and AJP President Lurinjyoti Gogoi.
Among the 722 candidates, 59 are women, with the Congress having the highest at 99, followed by the BJP at 90, AIUDF at 30, NDA allies AGP with 26, and BPF at 11 seats.
Opposition Alliance's Raijor Dal is contesting in 13 seats, AJP in 10, CPI(M) in 3, and APHLC in 2, while AAP is contesting in 18, UPPL in 18, TMC in 22, and JMM in 16 seats, with 258 independents.
The total electorate of 25,054,463, comprising 12,531,552 men, 12,522,593 women, and 318 of the third gender, will be able to exercise their franchise in 31,490 polling stations across 126 assembly constituencies.