Campaigning Ends; Stage Set For Phase-II Amidst Bihu Fervour

GUWAHATI: Amidst the Rongali Bihu fervour, campaigning for the second phase came to an end at 5 pm on Tuesday in the State. The stage is now set for polling in five Parliamentary seats. The election will be held from 7 am to 5 pm on April 18. A total of 50 candidates including three women are contesting during this phase across five Parliamentary constituencies namely Nowgong, Mangaldoi, Karimganj, Silchar, and Autonomous District (Diphu). In Karimganj, 14 candidates have contested, while there are 13 candidates in Silchar, 11 in Mangaldoi, seven in Nagaon, and five in Autonomous District (Diphu).

Altogether 69,10,592 electorates will get the chance to exercise their franchise across 8,992 polling stations during this phase. Of them, 35,54,466 are male voters while 33,55,952 are female, and 180 are third gender voters.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Dima Hasao, Amitabh Rajkhowa, polling personnel have already left for 95 remote polling stations. Personnel for 87 polling stations left on Tuesday while those for eight others had left on Monday. Personnel for 147 more polling stations would leave on Wednesday.

The penultimate phase of the Parliamentary polls in Assam saw the campaigning by several high-profile politicians for their respective candidates here. The list includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, and Congress star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora also addressed mammoth election meetings across the five constituencies.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal campaigned for BJP candidate Kripanath Mallah at a number of places including Algapur, Patherkandi, Badarpur, and Fakirabazar under Karimganj Parliamentary constituency. He also addressed poll rallies at Katigarah and Sonai in support of BJP candidate for Silchar Parliamentary Constituency Dr Rajdeep Roy. During his campaign in the Barak Valley, the Chief Minister said, “The Congress and the AIUDF have already realised that they have been defeated.” Further alleging that “The Congress has done injustice to the people of the Barak Valley”, Sonowal said, “During the 55 years of their rule, the Congress siphoned off lots of money meant for development and also schemes for the deprived sections of the society. Resorting to corruption is natural for the Congress leaders.” He further claimed, “The BJP will win both the seats in Barak Valley.” On Monday too, Sonowal had addressed poll campaigns at various places in the Barak Valley.

During the day, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma campaigned at a number of places including Dalgaon, Mangaldoi, Nalbari, Sipajhar, and Kalaigaon under Mangaldoi Parliamentary constituency in support of BJP candidate Dilip Saikia. Sarma said. “The spontaneous support of the people in the meetings definitely proves that Narendra Modiji will become the Prime Minister once again. The masses will cast their votes in support of development.” He assured that all widows would be given pension. He also assured that sugar and kerosene oil will be supplied at subsidized rates in the State. On Monday, Sarma addressed poll rallies in Karbi Anglong and also in Mangaldoi.

On April 14, Congress star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi had participated in a road show in support of the party’s candidate for Silchar HPC Sushmita Deb during this poll phase.

On the other hand, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi campaigning for Congress candidate for Nowgong Parliamentary seat Pradyut Bordoloi at Raha on Tuesday said, “The BJP at one point of time talked of freeing Assam from foreigners. But now, they are bent on settling foreigners in Assam.” Gogoi further crtiticised the BJP saying “there has been no ‘parivartan’ at all.”

APCC president Ripun Bora campaigning for Congress candidate from Mangaldoi HPC Bhubaneswar Kalita at Sipajhar said, “The first phase polls in the State have been promising for the Congress. And it will be better in the second phase.” Bora further stated, “The people have understood the false promises of the BJP.”

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