In Assam, Sonowal Watched Bajirao Mastani, Gogoi Played Golf

New Delhi: Sarbananda Sonowal of the BJP, who exit polls say is likely to be Assam's next chief minister, watched Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani and kept himself busy with his work as sports minister at the Centre, as he has waited for election results to be announced.  

The Congress's Tarun Gogoi, who hopes to win a fourth straight term as chief minister, took a week-long family vacation in Thailand, worked on his golfing skills and released his memoir, Turnaround, that talks about his Assam story.

Unlike politicians in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, who will know their fate within three days of polling, those in Assam have waited well over a month for tomorrow's counting of votes in five states. Assam voted first in two phases and had finished by April 11.

"This the toughest examination that I have taken," Mr Sonowal, 53, told NDTV, racing through multiple interviews after exit polls predicted that the BJP will wrest Assam from the Congress.

The minister also managed a surprise visit to the National Sports Institute in Patiala to check on India's prospects at the Rio Olympics this summer.

So did he have any time to unwind? "I watched Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani," said the self-confessed movie buff, who was projected as chief minister in a change of strategy by the BJP. He says he is confident of an absolute majority.

Not happening, says the 80-year-old Tarun Gogoi, dismissing exit poll predictions and insisting he will be back as chief minister tomorrow for a fourth term.

But even if he loses, Mr Gogoi says, he is not taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's advise to hang up his political boots. During his election campaign PM Modi had suggested that Mr Gogoi is too old to continue as Assam chief minister.

"I will be politically active. It doesn't mean you have to be in power. You just can't leave politics once you are in it," he said,

Votes will be counted tomorrow in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.