Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur cast their votes for the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls at a polling booth under the Brahmaputra Valley constituency in Guawahati on Thursday morning.
Dr Singh and his wife were the 258th and 259th voters to exercise their franchise at polling station number 156 at Dispur Government High School, where 1138 voters are expected to cast their votes.
"I am feeling great about being able to come here to cast my vote," Dr Singh told mediapersons, with a beaming Kaur at his side.
Dr Singh and his wife are registered as voters under the Dispur Legislative assembly and the Guwahati Parliamentary Constituency. They had rented a house at Sarumotoria area in the city before Dr Singh was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam in 1991.
The prime minister and his wife waited in the queue for their turn to cast their votes at the polling booth along with other voters.
Dr Singh and his wife arrived at the Guawahti airport in the morning and were ferried by a chopper to the veterinary college ground at Khanapara near the polling station after their arrival at the Guwahati airport. From the make-shift helipad, they proceeded to the polling station in a convoy by road.
Dr Singh parried a question on whether he would take the Left Front's support for a possible government formation. "I would not like to comment," the prime minister told reporters when asked whether he would take the Left's support again to form the next government.
The PM, who was speaking after casting his vote at a polling station in Dispur, expressed confidence that the Congress will form the next government at the Centre.
"Congress will win with a thumping majority. There will be a Congress-led government at the Centre. I am also confident that the Congress will be victorious in Assam," Dr Singh said.
Asked whether the Congress was on a sticky wicket this time, he said, "No, no, I am not tense at all".
