Stage set for final phase of poll in Asom

Guwahati, Apr 9: The battle for Asom reached its climax today as the stage is set for the second and final phase of voting in the assembly polls tomorrow with house-to-house campaigning still on.

The Election Commission has completed the huge exercise and almost all the polling parties have reached their destinations.

''We are all prepared for the final stage of voting,'' Asom's Chief Electoral Officer J P Prakash said.

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 having exercised 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 the 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 power, a feat no one achieved in the past three decades. The party 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 Asom unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indramoni Bora.

''This is the first time in two decades when we are having a violence-free poll with people having already voted fearlessly in the first phase of elections,'' Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said. In fact, the militants groups have stayed away from politics. Three of Asom's most dreaded rebel outfits, the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) are engaged in peace talks while the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) have tested the power of self-rule as they are running the BTAD.

Among the prominent candidates whose fate would be decided tomorrow include the leader of main opposition AGP Brindaban Goswami who is being projected as a chief ministerial candidate.

''I am confident of the AGP winning the poll and forming the next government. If we cannot, then it will be disastrous for regional politics'' he said.

The last few days of electioneering for the final phase saw a host of important leaders campaigning aggressively to win the support of the people.

From Congress president Sonia Gandhi to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and several high profile actors like Jaya Bachchan thronged Assam.

''The Congress is the only party that can provide peace and stability to the state,'' Mrs Gandhi told an election rally mixing insurgency, infiltration and stability as the main issues in her speeches.

On the other hand third front, opposing BJP and Congress is emerging as all the Left and democratic forces have come together under the AGP leadership for a greater role in the future national politics.

The Counting of votes will take place on May 11.

UNI