Polling peaceful in Dibrugarh, 62.11 per cent turnout recorded

From our Staff Reporter

DIBRUGARH, February 9: Apart for a few hitches, the civic polls of Dibrugarh municipality and three town committees in Dibrugarh district went off peacefully.

Voters of the 22 wards of Dibrugarh Municipal Board (DMB), four of Chabua town and harkatia town committees and eight wards of mrup town committee started queuing up to vote in the morning. For the 97,601 voters of Dibrugarh municipality, 118 polling stations were set up, while 5,592 voters in Chabua and 12,012 in harkatia cast their votes in the eight stations established in each of the two towns. On the other hand, there were 16 polling stations in mrup and the voters numbered 8,940.

Printing mistake in the ballot paper in three wards of mrup town committee delayed voting by three hours. Voters were able to exercise their adult franchise only after new ballot papers were printed. Polling continued till 7 pm due to the delay. Meanwhile, there was a clash between Congress and BJP workers at Amolapatty Girls’ LP School under ward number 10 of DMB and police had to intervene to bring the situation under control. The Congress alleged that voters of different wards were casting their votes at the polling station while the BJP claimed it was not illegal.

The latest information about the polling percentage revealed that 74.23 per cent of the voters of harkatia came out to cast their votes, while it was higher at Chabua with 76.59 per cent. Dibrugarh municipality recorded 62.11 per cent. The figure for mrup was uvailable since the voting hours were extended.