Electioneering for the 64 Assembly constituencies going to the polls in the second and final phase on April 11 in Assam, came to an end on Saturday.
The constituencies are spread over 14 districts of Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Barpeta, Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup (Rural), Nalbari, Baksa, Chirang, Udalguri, Darrang, Morigaon and Nagaon.
Campaigning was peaceful barring a few incidents of violence on Western Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Council area where rampaging anti-talk faction of NDFB rebels targeted security forces in the run-up to the elections.
An electorate of 96,77,113, comprising 50,09,083 men and 46,68,030 women, will decide the fate of 596 candidates which includes Congress ministers like Rockybul Hussain and Himanata Bisw Sarma.
The second phase of polling will also decided the fate of former chief minister and AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary. Polling will also take place in constituencies of Congress minister Bhumidhar Barman and BPF minister Chandam Brahama and Parmila Rani Brahma.
Of the 12,589 polling stations, 2,033 have been identified as hypersensitive, 4,175 as sensitive and 475 as vulnerable, Election Commission sources said. Altogether, 345 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed for the polls.
***
More women candidates in second phase
Guwahati, April 9: A higher number of women candidates are in the fray for the second phase of Assam polls in 64 assembly seats with 47 candidates in the electoral race. Thirty-eight women had contested from 62 assembly constituencies on April 4.
In the second phase of polls slated for April 11, six sitting MLAs, including state agriculture minister Pramila Rani Brahma, have been renominated by their respective parties.
The ruling Congress and the All India Trinamul Congress (AITMC) have the highest number of ten contestants each while the ruling party’s coalition partner Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) has four contestants, including two sitting MLAs, in the fray.
Regional party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has four candidates while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Janata Dal (United) and the NCP have two candidates each. The Socialist Unity Centre of India (C)with three candidates and the All-India Minority Front (AIMF) with a lone candidate along with eight Independents are also in the fray. —PTI