In Assam, voting has commenced in Guwahati, Barpeta, Kokrajhar and Dhubri constituencies at 7 am today for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections. Over 81.49 lakh voters will determine the fate of 47 candidates in this phase.
Assuring preparedness, Assam’s Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel announced the establishment of 9,516 polling stations across the districts under these four constituencies. Notably, efforts have been made to ensure transparency and security, including webcasting in 5,266 polling stations and GPS installation in all electoral vehicles.
Demographically, the electorate demonstrates gender parity, with 41,00,544 male voters, 40,48,436 female voters, and 111 third-gender voters. The deployment of over 45,000 polling personnel, along with an equal number of police personnel, aims to maintain order and safety throughout the voting process.
A total of 47 candidates, including six women, are contesting in this phase. Notably, there has been a significant turnout of voters aged 18-19, numbering more than 2.10 lakh.
The distribution of polling stations reflects a mix of urban and rural areas, with 1,474 urban polling stations and 8,042 rural ones. Additionally, there are 326 women-managed stations and 84 model stations, catering to various demographics.
Key battlegrounds include Dhubri, where incumbent Badruddin Ajmal faces challengers from Congress and AGP. Similarly, in Barpeta, AGP’s Phani Bhushan Choudhury competes against candidates from Congress and CPIM.
In Kokrajhar, UPPL’s Joyanta Basumatary contends with candidates from BPF and Congress, while in Guwahati, BJP’s Bijuli Kalita Medhi and Congress’ Mira Borthakur Goswami vie for victory.
With over 81 lakh voters expected to cast their ballots today, the electoral process in Assam continues to unfold, following the earlier phases held in April. The turnout in the previous phases, recording 78.25 per cent and 81.17 per cent respectively, highlights the electorate’s active participation in shaping Bharat’s political future.
