Assam gets ready for First phase of Assembly Polls
Jorhat
First phase of Assembly polls for 65 constituencies of Assam will be held tomorrow on 4th April. Among 65 constituencies 50 fall in Brahampautra and 15 falls in Barak valley.
TITABOR and MAJULI are two very important Constituencies because the present Chief Minister and Congress candidate Tarun Gogoi is standing up from Titabor, while BJP CM’s candidate and the Union minister of state Sarbananda Sonowal is fighting the election from Majuli. BJP has pitted Lok Sabha MP and tea tribe leader Kamakhya Prasad Tasha against the Gogoi. Similarly, Congress has fielded sitting legislator Rajib Lochan Pegu from Majuli constituency against Sarbananda Sonowal.
A total of 96,11,732 people are eligible to vote in the elections across 12,190 polling stations in the 65 constituencies. Of the 12,190 polling stations, 7,629 have been identified as sensitive, 3,663 are identified as hyper sensitive and 1,910 are marked as critical.
In the first phase, the state’s ruling Congress party will contest in all the 65 constituencies while the BJP has put up candidates in 54 constituencies. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), led by Moulana Badruddin Ajmal, is contesting in 27 seats while the regional party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is contesting in only 11 seats.
Thirty candidates have criminal charges against them, including a minister and five sitting lawmakers, out of the 539 contestants in 65 constituencies going to polls in the first phase in Assam tomorrow. Altogether 25 candidates have serious criminal cases like murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc. in their affidavits, according to a report of the Association of Democratic Reforms based on the affidavits filed by the candidates. There are 280 Independent candidates in the electoral fray for the first phase of polls followed by 65 others, representing some unpopular and unregistered parties.
While most of the constituencies will see straight electoral battles between the ruling Congress in Assam and candidates put up by the BJP, AGP and Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) alliance in Upper Assam and in the north bank of river Brahmaputra, the constituencies in Barak Valley are likely to see a three-cornered fight between the Congress, the BJP-led alliance and AIUDF.
Security arrangements have been done as per the necessity. In every polling station, there will be at least three armed police and two unarmed constables. More security personnel may deployed in sensitive and critical polling stations as per the necessity.
