The few hundred people gathered at the venue looked confused, trying to figure out who the king was.

Then someone pointed at a bespectacled man sitting on the dais and talking on his mobile - look that is the king.

Yes, he is indeed the king - former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijay Singh who is popularly known in his home state as Diggy Raja in a reference to his family's royal lineage.

Soon the crowd erupted in unison - Digvijay Singh zindabad (Digvijay Singh Long Live). "It is a matter of pride for us that the king is here to beg for votes. He is here to seek your support to enable the Congress party win the elections," Chaliha said.

There were few more rounds of roaring applause from the motley crowd as Diggy Raja walked to the podium to address the meeting.

"The AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) are fighting the elections with a secret electoral understanding. The AGP is not making the alliance public as that would take the minority (Muslim) votes away from them," Singh said.

Assam goes to the polls to elect a 126-member legislature April 3 and April 10.

Singh, the Congress party in-charge in Assam, has been leading the campaigning in at least four key constituencies in and around Guwahati. "The BJP loves accusing either Muslims or Christians. It is the Congress party that is universally known for upholding the true secular fabric of the country," Singh said.

The battle lines are drawn with the ruling Congress taking on the AGP for political supremacy. The Congress party is focusing on street corner meetings, house-to-house campaigning, besides small meetings held in local clubs and community halls instead of big rallies.

"Campaigning among a small crowd is always very effective and when a senior leader like Digvijay Singh attends such meetings it does make a difference," Chaliha said.