Assam Sees Peaceful Elections with Nearly 80% Voter Turnout

Polling in Assam's final phase of elections on Tuesday concluded peacefully across four parliamentary constituencies, with a preliminary voter turnout of 79.79 per cent, according to official reports. This phase marked the culmination of the electoral process in the state, with Dhubri, Barpeta, Guwahati, and Kokrajhar constituencies going to the polls. The final tally of the voter turnout is expected to be released on Wednesday.

Dhubri led the voter turnout with an impressive 85.43 per cent, followed closely by Barpeta at 79.62 per cent. Guwahati and Kokrajhar saw a turnout of 75.67 and 75.55 per cent respectively. The overall participation rate reflects the engagement of the electorate, with an estimated 79.79 per cent of over 81.49 lakh eligible voters casting their votes in this crucial phase.

The election day concluded without any reported incidents, signaling a smooth execution of the polling process which ended at 5 pm. However, technical issues were encountered with 965 components of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), including control units, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), and ballot units needing replacement due to malfunctioning. Officials noted that most issues were identified and rectified during the mock polling phase, ensuring a seamless voting experience thereafter.

A total of 81,49,091 voters were eligible to vote in this phase, spanning across 9,516 polling stations. Among these voters were 40,48,436 women and 111 individuals identifying as belonging to the third gender. The electoral battle saw 47 candidates vying for seats in this final phase.

Notable among the candidates were AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal from Dhubri seeking re-election for a fourth term against Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain. In Barpeta, veteran Asom Gana Parishad MLA Phanibhushan Choudhury faced competition from CPIM MLA Manoranjan Talukdar and Congress candidate Deep Bayan. Kokrajhar's electoral contest included former BTC deputy leader Kampa Borgoyary of the Bodo Peoples Front, UPPL's Joyanta Basumatary, and Congress candidate Garjen Mushahry. Guwahati featured a contest between two women candidates - BJP’s Bijuli Kalita Medhi and Congress’ Mira Borthakur Goswami.

The distribution of electors saw Dhubri with the highest number at 26,63,987 and Kokrajhar with the lowest at 14,94,404. This phase follows earlier rounds where significant voter participation was also observed. The first phase on April 19 witnessed a 78.25 per cent turnout across five constituencies while the second round on April 26 saw an 81.17 per cent turnout in another five constituencies.

Comparatively, the 2019 parliamentary polls recorded an overall voter turnout of 81.55 per cent in Assam. The current Lok Sabha representation from Assam includes nine seats held by BJP, three by Congress, one by AIUDF, and one by an independent candidate.

The peaceful conduct and high voter turnout in this final phase underscore the democratic spirit of Assam's electorate. With all eyes now on the counting day, these elections are pivotal for determining the political landscape in Assam for the coming years.