Lok Sabha Election: Final Polling Across Four Seats Today

GUWAHATI: All preparations have been made to ensure fair and peaceful polling during the third and final phase of the Parliamentary elections in Assam from 7 am to 5pm on Tuesday. Massive security arrangement has been undertaken with 200 companies of security forces besides Assam Police personnel deployed and three choppers are being kept ready to tackle with emergency situations. During the previous two phases, 179 companies of security forces were mobilized. However this time, the additional companies of security forces were requisitioned as there are comparatively more critical polling stations across the four HPCs, namely Gauhati, Barpeta, Dhubri, and Kokrajhar (ST) where 54 candidates are in fray. According to information received, 38,308 polling personnel have been already deployed for the polls.

The last phase of LS polls here will witness the deployment of 436 Micro Observers, five General Observers, four Expenditure Observers, and three Police Observers. Moreover, there are also 125 Flying Squad Teams (FSTs), 112 Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs), 83 Video Surveillance Teams (VSTs) monitoring the polls.

Altogether 74,77,062 electorates will get the chance to exercise their franchise in the third phase polling. Of them, 38,15,335 are male voters; 36,61,570 are female voters; and 157 are third gender electorates.

Among the candidates in the third phase, the Gauhati Parliamentary seat will witness 17 candidates in the contest. However, the main fight is likely to be between Bobbeeta Sharma of the Congress and Queen Oja of the BJP. In Barpeta, 13 candidates are in the poll fray while the main tussle is expected to be triangular among Kumar Dipak Das of the AGP, Rafiqul Islam of the AIUDF, and Abdul Khaleque of the Congress. Dhubri will witness 15 candidates in poll fray whereas the main fight is expected to be triangular among AIUDF chief and sitting MP Badruddin Ajmal, Jabed Islam of the AGP, and the Abu Taher Bepari of the Congress. On the other hand, though nine candidates are in the fray for Kokrajhar (ST) seat, the main fight is likely to be four-cornered among sitting MP and Independent candidate Naba Kumar Sarania, Minister and BPF candidate Pramila Rani Brahma, Sabda Ram Rabha of the Congress, and former Rajya Sabha MP Urkhao Gwra Brahma of the UPP (Liberal).

Altogether 145 candidates have been in the fray during the three phase-polls in the State. Of them, 41 contested in the phase-I polling across five seats on April 11; 50 in phase-II polling across five seats on April 18; and 54 are in the fray for four seats in the phase-III polling on April 23.

During the third phase, direct web-casting will take place from 690 of the total 9,577 polling stations. The Election Commission will be able to directly monitor the process in these 690 polling stations as it actually takes place.

State Election Department, Assam, has informed that 1,379 licensed arms have been deposited. It has also been learnt that 1,732 persons against whom non-bailable warrants were issued, have been arrested from areas within the four LS seats going to polls on Tuesday.

Of the total 524 remote polling stations, the maximum number (314) are located in Dhubri; followed by Barpeta (140), and Gauhati (70). Some personnel already left for such polling stations (including a few in Gauhati) on Sunday. Significantly, there are no remote polling stations in Kokrajhar.

There are 147 polling stations with all women polling personnel. Of them, 79 are located in Gauhati, 29 in Dhubri, 28 in Barpeta, and 11 in Kokrajhar (ST).

There are 125 model polling stations. The breakup is: Gauhati (17), Dhubri (15), Barpeta (13), and Kokrajhar-ST (nine).

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