STAFF REPORTER GUWAHATI:
Assam First Phase Election 2021: Altogether 264 candidates are in the fray for the first-phase Assembly elections slated on March 27. This phase of polls will be held in 12 districts across 47 LACs (Legislative Assembly Constituencies in upper and middle Assam. The 12 districts are Biswanath, Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Nagaon, Sibsagar, Sonitpur, and Tinsukia.
Meanwhile, campaigning by the candidates and several star campaigners has reached a feverish pitch. Poll campaign for this phase one will end in the afternoon of March 25.
According to information of the Election Department, Assam, of the 81,09,815 total electorates for the first phase, a total of 40,77,210 are males; 40,32,481 are females; and 124 are transgenders.
Of the 13,454 polling stations that will be set up for the first-phase polls, a total of 11,537 are permanent while the remaining 1,917 are auxiliary polling stations (established according to the COVID-19 protocols).
Of the total 264 candidates, 241 are male candidates while 23 are female candidates. The highest number of 12 candidates is in Naoboicha LAC in Lakhimpur district whereas the lowest number of three candidates is in each of the following four LACs:
Golaghat in Golaghat district;
Sootea in Biswanath district;
Mariani in Jorhat district; and
Thowra in Sibsagar district.
Jorhat LAC within Jorhat district has four candidates including Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly, Hitendranath Goswami.
Majuli LAC has four candidates including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
In Titabar LAC under Jorhat district — which was earlier represented by former Chief Minister (late) Tarun Gogoi — four candidates are in the poll fray.
Bokahat LAC under Golaghat district will witness 11 candidates including AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) president Atul Bora. In Gohpur LAC within Biswanath district, four candidates are in the fray including APCC (Assam Pradesh Congress Committee) president Ripun Bora. Senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia will contest against four others for the Nazira LAC in Charaideo district.
Significantly, 78 Independents constitute the largest segment of candidates in the first-phase Assembly election.
On the other hand, the INC (Indian National Congress) has fielded 43 candidates followed by 41 by the AJP (Assam Jatiya Parishad); 39 by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party); and 10 by the AGP (Asom Gana Parishad).
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