Assam final phase polls tomorrow, PM to cast vote in Guwahati

Guwahati, April 23: Six constituencies will go to poll tomorrow in the third and final phase of Lok Sabha election in Assam to decide the fate of 74 candidates.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has been representing Assam in the Rajya Sabha since 1991, and his wife Gursharan Kaur are scheduled to arrive here tomorrow and cast their votes at Dispur Government Higher Secondary School around noon.

Polling will be held to decide the fate of 74 candidates, including nine women, in Kokrajhar(ST), Dhubri, Barpeta, Mangaldoi, Gauhati and Nowgong spread over the districts of Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Nalbari, Baksa, Chirang, Darrang, Udalguri, Morigaon, Nagaon, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup(Rural).

Guwahati Senior Superintendent of Police (City) A K Tewary said the SPG had chalked out an elaborate security arrangement for the Prime Minister and his wife.

Security has been tightened across all six constituencies, particularly in Kokrajhar district, where the NDFB(S) is active and sporadic incidents of pre-poll violence occurred with 75 companies of security forces being deployed.

Security has been tightened along the international border with Bangladesh and Bhutan in Dhubri, Barpeta and Mangaldoi constituencies too. An electorate of 94,21,977, including 48,79,424 males and 45,42,553 female are expected to exercise their franchise in 11,994 polling stations of which 920 are hyper-sensitive and 1658 sensitive.

In minority-dominated Dhubri constituency, where 15 candidates are in fray, the contest is expected to be between AIUDF Chief and sitting MP Badruddin Ajmal, Congress candidate Wazed Ali Choudhury and BJP's Debamoy Sanyal.

An interesting battle is on the cards in the Kokrajhar (ST) constituency with six candidates in fray including Assam Tourism minister Chandan Brahma of BPF and sitting BPF MP S K Bwismuthiary who was denied a ticket by the party and is now contesting as an independent bidding to win for the fifth consecutive term.

Barpeta with 15 candidates in fray is another seat which has evoked great interest. The Mangaldoi constituency has 12 candidates in fray. The prestigious Gauhati constituency has the highest number of 18 candidates contesting.

PTI