Stage set for final phase of polling in Assam

Guwahati, Apr 09: The battle for Asom reached its climax today as the stage is set for the second and final phase of voting in the Asom assembly polls tomorrow with house to house campaign still on.

The Election Commission has completed huge exercise and almost all the polling parties have reached their destinations. The first of the two-stage elections to the 126-member assembly on April 3 was peaceful with an estimated 73 per cent of the 9.2 million voters exercising their franchise in 65 constituencies.

A total of 515 candidates contested in the first phase.

This time fate of the 61 constituencies would be sealed, as some 8.2 million voters will decide the fortunes of 482 candidates.

As the polling arrangements have reached its climax, the fight has emerged between the Congress and the AGP with all other parties, including the BJP, getting ready for post poll politics.

The Congress is hoping to turn history wrong by retaining the power, a feat no one achieved in the past three decades. The Congress is harping on the theme of peace, development and protection to genuine Indian minorities, while the opposition is trying to whip up the sensitive issue of Bangladeshi illegal infiltration.

" Our main issue is our result and progress we have made in the past five years," said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. But BJP and AGP have successfully projected infiltration as the main issue and in fact pushed the Congress to a corner.

''Our main issue is to expose the Congress party, which is trying to protect the interests of Bangladeshi infiltrators,'' said president of the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indramoni Bora.

UNI