A polling official marks the finger of a voter during the first phase of Assam Assembly Elections, at a polling station in Samaguri, Saturday.
The stage is all set for the second phase of Assembly elections in Assam on Thursday for 39 of the 126 Assembly constituencies where the electoral fate of 345 candidates, including 26 women aspirants, will be decided. The over a month-long hectic campaigning ended on Tuesday for the seats located mostly in central and southern Assam, and comprising six reserved for Scheduled Tribes and five for Scheduled Castes.
Assam Assembly Elections 2021 second phase key constituencies
- Ratabari (SC)
- Patherkandi
- Karimganj North
- Karimganj South
- Badarpur
- Hailakandi
- Katlicherra
- Algapur
- Silchar
- Sonai
- Dholai (SC)
- Udharbond
- Lakhipur
- Barkhola
- Katigorah
- Haflong (ST)
- Bokajan (ST)
- Howraghat (ST)
- Diphu (ST)
- Baithalangso (ST)
- Kamalpur
- Rangiya
- Nalbari
- Panery (ST)
- Udalguri (ST)
- Majbat
- Kalaigaon
- Sipajhar
- Mangaldoi (SC)
- Dalgaon
- Jagiroad (SC)
- Marigaon
- Laharighat
- Raha (SC)
- Nowgong
- Barhampur
- Jamunamukh
- Hojai
- Lumding
Assam Chief Electoral Officer Nitin Khade said that all preparations have been completed to conduct free, fair, peaceful and smooth elections on Thursday, when 73,44,631 voters, including 36,09,959 women, are eligible to cast their votes across 10,592 polling stations including 556 all women managed polling stations.
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Of the 39 seats, 15 fall in southern Assam's Barak Valley region, comprising three districts -- Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakhandhi -- mostly dominated by Bengali-speaking people. In 2016, the BJP had bagged eight of these, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) four and Congress three.
In Thursday's balloting, the electoral fate of several Assam Ministers including Fisheries, Excise, Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Piyush Hazarika, state Irrigation Minister Bhabesh Kalita and Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar will be decided.
Suklabaidya is contesting from the Dholai seat for the seventh time on a BJP ticket, Hazarika from Jagiroad and Kalita from Rangia. Former Congress Minister Gautam Roy is contesting from Katigorah on a BJP ticket, while former Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul, who resigned from the BJP after he was denied ticket and was subsequently expelled, is contesting as an Independent from Silchar constituency.
The third and final phase would be held in 40 seats on April 6. Results will be declared on May 2. Nearly 80 per cent of 8,109,815 voters cast their votes on Saturday in the first phase conducted in 47 constituencies.
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