GUWAHATI: A voter turnout of 20% has been recorded across the four Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam till 11 am in the ongoing third phase of elections.
According to data released by the Election Commission, Dhubri constituency led the tally with 25.51% turnout, closely followed by Kokrajhar at 19.65%. Guwahati and Barpeta trailed with 16.62% and 16.01% respectively.
Earlier trends by 9 am hinted at a subdued start with Assam reporting a mere 10.12% turnout.
Dhubri maintained its lead with 10.75%, while Guwahati trailed closely with 10.38%. Kokrajhar and Barpeta hovered around 9.77% and 9.26% respectively.
Despite the initial sluggishness, the polling process has been largely peaceful across the state, barring an isolated incident.
Reports emerged of a clash at a polling booth in Mankachar under Dhubri Lok Sabha constituency, where tensions flared between two groups.
The chaos erupted amidst the formation of voter queues, resulting in altercations outside the polling booth.
Security personnel have swiftly moved in to defuse the situation.
The electoral landscape in Assam is vibrant with a total of 81,77,207 eligible voters, including 41,27,099 male, 40,84,130 female, and 112 third gender voters.
They will determine the fate of 47 candidates vying for seats across the state’s four constituencies.
A network of 9,516 polling stations has been established to facilitate the voting process.
Barpeta emerges as the battleground with 14 contestants, while Guwahati witnesses a relatively quieter competition with only 8 candidates.
Diverse political affiliations are in contention, with both NDA (BJP, AGP, and UPPL) and Congress fielding candidates across all four seats.
Noteworthy are the newcomers and women candidates stepping into the fray.
Guwahati sees Bijuli Kalita Medhi representing BJP and Mira Barthakur Goswami contesting for Congress.
In Barpeta and Dhubri, AGP and BJP’s candidates stand prominent.
In Kokrajhar, UPPL’s Joyanta Basumatary challenges former BTC Deputy Chief Kampa Borgoyary among others.
Dhubri witnesses a notable battle between AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal and former Assam cabinet minister, Congress’ Rakibul Hussain.
