Campaigning ends for Phase I
ASSAM ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
By Our Staff Reporter
Guwahati, April 2: Campaigning came to an end on Saturday for the first phase of the Assam assembly election, involving 65 constituencies.
Polling in the 65 constituencies will be conducted on Monday.
The campaign ended in these seats at 5 pm today.
The fate of 539 candidates, including those from major parties Congress, AIUDF, AGP and BJP – will be decided by the electorate on Monday.
Altogether 280 Independents and 43 women candidates are in fray.
While the Congress has brought in star campaigners like party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi, former ministers Jairam Ramesh, And Sharma, Ghulam bi Azad, Salman Khurshid and several others, the BJP too has brought in heavyweights including Prime Minister rendra Modi, Home Minister Rajth Singh, party tiol president Amit Shah, Exterl Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, HRD Minister Smriti Irani and others.
The Congress has fielded candidates in all 65 seats up for grabs in the first phase. The BJP has fielded candidates in 54, while its alliance partner AGP will contest in 11 constituencies.
The AIUDF has put up candidates in 27 seats. The BPF will also fight in three of the 65 first-phase seats.
The maximum number of candidates is in Karimganj South from where 25 candidates have filed nomitions. As many as 23 candidates are vying for the Hailakandi seat.
Biswath Chariali, Thawra and Howraghat will witness three-cornered contests. Four candidates are in fray each in Baithalangsu and Majuli.
There are six candidates in Titabor, where Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is mainly pitted against BJP’s Kamakhya Prasad Tasa.
BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Sarbanda Sonowal in pitted against Congress sitting legislator Rajib Lochan Pegu in Majuli.
Other prominent faces in the first phase includes PWD Minister Ajanta Neog, Agriculture Minister Rockybul Hussain, Culture Minister Bismita Gogoi, former union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar (Cong), former two-time chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta (AGP), former education minister Brindaban Goswami (AGP) and AGP president Atul Bora.
