Guwahati Mar 30 PTI On the eve of election to two Rajya Sabha seats in Assam the Opposition led by Congress on Wednesday asserted that its joint candidate will win comfortablyOutgoing Rajya Sabha MP and former state Congress president Ripun Bora is seeking re-election as the Opposition parties joint candidate for the lone seat that they are contestingAddressing a press conference Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia said We want to iterate that we have full support of 43 MLAs and our candidate will emerge victorious In the 126-member state Assembly there 27 MLAs from the Congress 15 from AIUDF and one from the CPI M while there is an Independent legislator of Raijor DalOut of Congresss 27 MLAs one MLA Sashi Kanta Das who had been suspended has promised to support the rival NDAs candidates for the RS electionsVoting will take place from 9 am to 4 pm on Thursday and counting will be held the same day at 5 pmSaikia claimed that besides 26 Congress MLAs the lone CPIM legislator and the one from Raijor Dal will also vote for BoraThe AIUDF has also lent its support to Bora as the joint candidate of the Opposition partiesRaijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi who was present at the press meet said We will ensure victory of Ripun Bora and defeat any conspiracy of the ruling alliance Saikia said the CPIM MLA could not be present at the press conference as he had some urgent work at the party officeBora who also addressing the press meet said he was confident of retaining his seatThis is an ideological war Our victory will mean win of democracy and secularism he saidThe other seat which fell vacant was held by his party colleague Ranee NarahThe ruling BJP-led coalition government has fielded Pabitra Margherita BJP and Rwngra Narzary UPPL for the two seatsThe ruling NDA has 79 members in the Assembly with 63 from BJP nine from AGP and seven from the UPPLThe BPF which has three MLAs has lent its support to the government in the assembly but is yet to enter into a political alliance formallyThere are seven Rajya Sabha seats from Assam Three of them are held by the BJP and one by its alliance partner AGP An independent member holds another seatMLAs will participate in the Rajya Sabha election as members of the Upper House of Parliament are elected by legislators in state assemblies It is election through proportional representation PTI SSG MM MM