India's cinema legend Amitabh Bachchan may not have been physically present in Assam, but his message read out by wife Jaya received roaring applause much like his punchy dialogues on the silver screen.

'Amitabh Ji was unable to be here amidst you all. But he has sent his best wishes to the people of Assam,' Jaya told a massive election rally of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in Bengali in this Assam town, about 550 km from Assam's main city of Guwahati.

Some 15,000 people waved and cheered lustily as another Jaya took the microphone in the rally of Assam's main opposition party.

This time it was actor Jaya Prada and Samajwadi Party MP. 'The Congress is a party of betrayers,' she thundered as the crowd broke into rapturous cheers.

Smiling jubilantly on stage was AGP president Brindaban Goswami. He watched a bevy of leaders, including Samajwadi Party's Amar Singh and Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) N. Chandrababu Naidu, take main challenger Congress party by its horns.

'It is a shame that the Congress party is describing their president Sonia Gandhi resigning from parliament as a sacrifice. She wanted to defame us and instead stumbled and fell in the grave dug by them,' Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh told the rally.

'The Congress did nothing for the country and the people of Assam and today we appeal to you all to vote for the AGP and throw out the ruling party from power.'

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

Then, it was the turn of the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Naidu to target the Congress.

'The Congress government is interested only in encouraging Bangladeshi infiltration to strengthen their support base. Very soon the indigenous Assamese people are going to be reduced to a minority,' he said.

His speech was in line with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is fighting the polls on the issue of infiltration.

'Innocent people have been killed during the Congress rule in Assam. Youths of Assam were forced to do anything for a living as the government failed to give jobs,' Naidu said.

This is the first major election meeting for the AGP in the traditionally Congress heartland sending jitters in the ruling party camp. 'The response of the people in the meeting is an indication of the support for our party,' the AGP president said.

But many among the crowd popped into the election rally to have a glimpse of the film stars rather than listen to speeches. 'Jaya Prada and Jaya Bachchan are good popular actors and when there is an opportunity to see them, why miss it,' said Ronti Nath, a middle-aged businessman.