The Congress and the AGP said they favoured elections ahead of Bihu. The Rongali Bihu is celebrated mid-April every year.

“We want the election ahead of Bihu and we are ready for it,” AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary said. “The Congress also wants the election ahead of Bihu,” APCC chief Bhubaneswar Kalita said.The AGP said it favoured a five-phase election. “Given that the state doesn’t have adequate security personnel, we favour a multi-phase election.

This will help curb rigging and booth-capturing,” Patowary said.

The Congress said it would not enter into any pre-poll alliance with any party. “We won’t have pre-poll alliance with any party. However, we may have pre-poll understanding,” Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.

The Congress forged postpoll alliance with the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) in the 2006 assembly elections. The party favours friendly contest with the BPF even this time round. “We have understanding with the BPF. We are now discussing the issue of alliance.

But so far, no decision has been taken,” the APCC chief said.The AGP will possibly go it alone. The party had entered into a pre-poll alliance with the BJP in the last Lok Sabha elections. However, the arrangement appeared to have boomeranged on it as it managed to win only one of the six seats it had contested.

Meanwhile, an EC delegation will visit the state on January 28 on a two-day visit.

Sources here said the team, to be led by CEC SY Qureshi, would take stock of the state’s poll-preparedness. “The team will meet party leaders besides officials of the state government.

Their views will then be looked into before the Commission deciding on the elections,” the sources added.