Assam Phase 1 Elections 2021: CM Sarbananada, leader of Oppn among key candidates in fray

Guwahati, Mar 27: Voting began at 7 am on Saturday for to decide the fate of prominent candidates including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Speaker Hitendranath Goswami and Debrata Saikia, the leader of opposition in the state.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is trying his luck from Majuli (ST) seat where he is locked in a direct contest with three-time former Congress MLA and former minister Rajib Lochan Pegu.

Speaker of the outgoing assembly Hitendranath Goswami is also locked in a direct contest with former Congress MLA Rana Goswami in Jorhat.

Titabor, another high-profile seat that was held by former chief minister Tarun Gogoi of the Congress for four successive terms will likely see a direct contest between Bhaskar Jyoti Barua of the Congress and former MLA Hemanta Kalita. Gogoi, the tallest Congress leader in the state, died last year.

BJP Ministers Ranjit Dutta (Behali), Naba Kumar Doley (Dhakuakha), Jogen Mohan (Mahmora), Terash Gowala (Duliajan) and Sanjoy Kishan (Tinsukia) are all locked in triangular contest with Congress or its alliance partners and the AJP.

AGP Ministers Atul Bora and Keshab Mahanta are in the electoral arena in Bokakhat and Kaliabor.

Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia and state Congress president Ripun Borah are in the fray from Nazira and Gohpur respectively.

Activist and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi, in jail for his alleged role in the violent anti-CAA protests, is contesting as an Independent from Sivasagar.

AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi is contesting from Duliajan and Naharkatiya, and is pitted against Congress and BJP nominees in both the constituencies.

In the first phase, webcasting will be done at 5,772 polling stations identified as vulnerable, critical and sensitive, besides those having a large number of voters.

The ruling BJP is contesting 39 seats and its partner AGP 10. The two allies are engaged in friendly contest in Lakhimpur and Naharkatiya constituencies. The opposition grand alliance is contesting all the seats, with the Congress putting up candidates in 43, and the AIUDF, CPI(ML-L), RJD and Anchalik Gana Morcha (contesting as Independent) in one each. The newly formed AJP is in the fray in 41 seats, while there are 78 Independents, including 19 candidates of the newly formed Raijor Dal who are also contesting as Independents.

A little over 81.09 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 11,537 polling booths, including 1,917 auxiliary polling stations, which have been created to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

All voters have been asked to wear masks or will be provided one at the time of voting. COVID-19 mitigation measures like sanitisers, thermal scanners and soap will be available as part of the Assured Minimum Facilities at each polling station, Nitin Khade, the state''s chief electoral officer, said.