Guwahati: In Assam, voting started at 7 am on Saturday for 47 seats within the first part of the meeting elections. The polling on today will resolve the destiny of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, together with a number of ministers and opposition leaders.
264 candidates who’re within the fray in Phase 1 embrace 23 ladies candidates, officers knowledgeable. The polling will proceed until 6 pm.
For safety, 300 corporations of forces have been deployed within the first part whereby individuals are voting at 11,537 polling stations throughout 12 districts of Upper Assam and the Northern Bank of Brahmaputra.
Officials revealed that the patrolling has been intensified and there’s a strict vigil in all susceptible areas.
On most of those seats, there’s a triangular contest between the ruling BJP-AGP alliance, the Congress-led opposition alliance, and the newly-formed Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP).
In this part, a complete of 81,09,815 voters are eligible to train their franchise – of them, 40,77,210 are male and 40,32,481 feminine, whereas 124 are third gender voters in addition to 9 abroad voters.
A big turnout has been witnessed at a number of cubicles because the ballot started with many popping out to vote early.
Special measures are taken for People with Disabilities (PwD), together with the supply of wheelchairs at each polling station and e-rickshaws for his or her commute.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to induce voters for exercising their franchise in “record numbers”.
CM Sonowal & Other Key Leaders In Fray
BJP is contesting 39 seats while its partner AGP is contesting 10. The allies are engaged in “friendly contests” in Lakhimpur and Naharkatiya constituencies.
As for the opposition, Congress has put up candidates in 43, and the AIUDF, CPI(ML-L), RJD and Anchalik Gana Morcha (contesting as Independent) in one each.
The newly-formed AJP is contesting in 41 seats, while there are 78 Independents, including 19 candidates of the newly-formed Raijor Dal.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is in the fray from Majuli (ST) while the Speaker of the outgoing assembly Hitendranath Goswami is fighting the elections from Jorhat.
Ministers Ranjit Dutta (Behali), Naba Kumar Doley (Dhakuakha), Jogen Mohan (Mahmora), Terash Gowala (Duliajan) and Sanjoy Kishan (Tinsukia) are facing triangular contests with Congress or its allies, and the AJP.
Titabor, a high-profile seat which was held by former chief minister Tarun Gogoi for four successive terms, is undergoing a direct faceoff between Congress’ Bhaskar Jyoti Barua and former MLA Hemanta Kalita.
Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia and state Congress president Ripun Borah are contesting from Nazira and Gohpur, respectively. Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi who in jail for his alleged role in the violent anti-CAA protests, is contesting as an Independent from Sivasagar.
AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi is contesting Duliajan and Naharkatiya.
Assam will undergo assembly elections in three phases. The results will be announced on May 2.
