Assam records 72% polling in five constituencies

Guwahati: An estimated 72 percent of the 64.4 lakh voters exercised their franchise peacefully in five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam sealing the electoral fate of 51 contestants, including two union ministers in the first phase.

Election office sources said that the exact percentage would be available at night as thousands of people were still standing in queues when voting ended at 5 pm.

Tezpur recorded 73 percent voting, Jorhat 75 percent, Lakhimpur 67, Dibrugarh 70 and Koliabor 72 percent, the sources said.

Prominent contestants whose fates were sealed in EVMS were Union ministers and Congress nominees Paban Singh Ghatowar (Dibrugarh) and Ranee Narah (Lakhimpur), besides former union minister and sitting Congress MP Bijoy Krishna Handique (Jorhat).

Others were Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s son Gaurav Gogoi (Koliabor), Congress rebel and Independent candidate Moni Kumar Subba and BJP state unit president Sabananda Sonowal (Lakhimpur).

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, his wife Dolly Gogoi and their son and Koliabor constituency Congress candidate Gaurav Gogoi cast their votes in Jorhat.

New voters in the 18-19 age group from among the first-time 6.5 lakh electorate came out in large numbers to choose their representatives.

An upbeat chief minister expressed confidence of the Congress sweeping the polls in the state winning more than 10 of the 14 seats.

“There is no Modi magic, but Tarun Gogoi magic in Assam. Earlier, I had said we will win ten seats, but now I am sure the Congress will get more than that,” he told reporters after casting his vote.

In the last 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had won seven of the 14 seats, its alliance partner BPF one, BJP four and AIUDF one.

Reports were received about over 50 EVMs malfunctioning, but they were replaced and voting continued uninterrupted.

Four persons, including a woman, demanding to cast their vote early at a voting centre in Sarupathar Silonijan area of Kaliabor constituency, received minor injuries in a fracas with CRPF personnel, police sources said.

The state election office web cast the election process at each of the polling stations.

For the first time in the northeast region, all polling booths in the state were declared smoking-free.

The next phase of the LS polls in the state would be held on April 12 for three Lok Sabha seats of Karimganj (SC), Silchar and Autonomous District (ST).

PTI