Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Assam State Election Commission today announced the poll schedule for Panchayat Election 2025 in the state, which will be held in two phases on May 2 and 7, 2025. Counting of ballots from both phases of polling will be done on May 11. The poll will be held in 27 districts in the state, except for 6th schedule districts, which do not have a Panchayati Raj system.
This was stated by the State Election Commissioner, Alok Kumar, on Wednesday afternoon. With the announcement of the poll schedule of the Panchayat election, the model code of conduct came into force with immediate effect in the respective areas covered by the Panchayat Election 2025.
According to the poll schedule, the issue of Notice of Election by the district commissioners will be done on April 3 for both phases of the poll. Post the issue of the Notice of Election, candidates will be able to file their nominations. The last date of filing of nominations is April 11. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on April 12. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 17, up to 3 PM. The list of contesting candidates for both phases of the poll will be published on April 17, after 3 PM.
The first phase of polling will take place on May 2 in the Upper Assam and Barak Valley districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Majuli, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Cachar, Hailakandi and Sribhumi. In the event of any repoll being necessitated, it will be held on May 4.
The second phase of polling will be held on May 7 in the Lower Assam and Middle Assam districts of Dhubri, South Salmara-Mankachar, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Bajali, Nalbari, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Hojai, Nagaon, Morigaon and Darrang. Any repoll, if necessitated, will be held on May 9.
The polling hours for both the phases have been fixed from 7.30 AM to 4.30 PM. The date of counting for both the polling phases will take place on May 11, from 8 AM till the completion of the counting.
The Panchayat election will be conducted with the help of ballots, as the Assam State Election Commission does not have enough EVMs to conduct the election.
According to State Election Commissioner Alok Kumar, the total number of voters in the Panchayat Election 2025 is 1,80,36,682, which is 13.27% more than that in the last Panchayat Election held in December 2018.
There will be a total of 25,007 polling stations across the districts where the election is scheduled to take place.
The Panchayat Election 2025 will be held to elect 21,920 Goan Panchayat members, 2,192 Anchalik Panchayat members and 397 Zilla Parishad members. The election for Gaon Panchayat (GP) members will be apolitical, i.e., the candidates will not be allowed to use political party symbols. GP candidates will be able to use free symbols, which have already been notified by the Assam State Election Commission (ASEC). However, candidates vying for membership to Anchalik Panchayats and Zilla Parishads are allowed to use political party symbols. Significantly, 50% of the seats to all levels of the Panchayat election are reserved for women. A few seats will also be reserved for SC and ST candidates.
The expenditure ceiling for a Zilla Parishad member candidate is Rs 10 lakh; that for a candidate for Anchalik Parishad member is Rs 2.5 lakh; and a GP member candidate is Rs 25,000.
A toll-free number will be announced in each of the 27 districts for people to file complaints regarding violations of the model code of conduct, if any. 88 election observers will be deputed during the election.
Alok Kumar said while addressing the media today, “The affidavits filed by the candidates of the Anchalik Panchayat and Zilla Parishad members will be uploaded on the site of the Assam State Election Commission, and people can access them on that site.”
No election will be held for the post of Gaon Panchayat president. After the GP members are elected, they will select the GP president from among themselves. Every GP has ten members.
It should be mentioned here that the five-year term of all panchayats in the state expired in February 2024.
Also Read: Assam Panchayat Polls: Election Officials’ Leave Restricted To Ensure Smooth Conduct
Also Watch: