Assam: Stage set for first phase of assembly polls

Guwahati, Apr 3 The stage is all set for the first phase of Assam assembly polls in 62 of the 126 constituencies to be held amid tight security in 13 districts tomorrow.

Polling personnel assigned to far-flung areas have already left for their stations since Friday and those near to the district or sub-divisional headquarters were scheduled to leave by this evening, official sources said.

A variety of transport like buses, bullock carts and boats have been pressed into service to transport the polling personnel but in some remote areas of North Cachar Hills district the polling party has to trek for three days to reach their destination.

An electorate of 85,09,011, comprising 43,91,895 males and 41,17,116 females, will decide the fate of 485 candidates (447 males and 38 female), including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

The electorate will exercise their franchise in 11,264 polling stations. A total of 2,033 booths have been identified as hyper sensitive, 2,985 sensitive and 817 hamlets as vulnerable.

Polling will be held amid tight security in the backdrop of threat issued by the Paresh Barua faction of the banned ULFA and also due to possible clashes between supporters of various candidates as the run—up to the polls witnessed a few poll-related clashes in some Barak Valley constituencies.

Altogether 346 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed for the polls with 65 to 75 per cent of polling stations, including most of the critical ones, will be covered by central paramilitary forces and the rest by police, micro-observers and video-cameras.

A triangular contest among ruling Congress, BJP and AGP was likely in most constituencies which include 15 in the Barak Valley, five in the two hill districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills district, eight in Sonitpur and the remaining 34 in Upper Assam districts of Dhemaji, Golaghat, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur and Jorhat.

Campaigning for the first phase, though initially slow-paced with the major parties beset with dissidence and dissatisfaction over ticket allotment, became high voltage during the past one week with star campaigners of the various parties descending on the state to woo the electorate.

The ruling Congress though burdened with an anti-incumbency factor is expecting to enter the Assembly for the third consecutive term with the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the UPA Chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi and the Union Finance Minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee among others batting for Chief Minister Mr Gogoi by highlighting his achievements during the last 10 years.

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