Polling in 61 seats today

Total SEATS -     61

Total CANDIDATES -     525

    MALE -     477

    FEMALE-     48

Total ELECTORATE-     1,04,35,277

    MALE -     53,91,204

    FEMALE -     50,44,051

Total POLLING STATIONS -     12,699

Our Bureau

Guwahati, April 10: Voters in 61 assembly constituencies will exercise their franchise in the second phase of polling in Assam on Monday and decide the fate of 525 candidates in the fray.

Polling will begin from 7 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. at 12,699 polling stations in the 61 constituencies spread across 15 revenue districts in central and lower Assam. There are 3,890 sensitive, 1,671 hyper-sensitive and 739 critical polling stations. In all, 358 polling stations are in shadow areas - where there is no mobile or telephone connectivity.

The Election Commission is using 525 companies of armed security forces during the polling.

Of the total 1,04,35,277 voters eligible to cast their ballot in the second phase, 50,44,051 are women. Of the 525 candidates in fray, only 48 are women.

Some prominent candidates include former Assam chief minister and Asom Ga Parishad (AGP) candidate Prafulla Kumar Mahanta (Barhampur), Badruddin Ajmal (AIUDF, Salmara South), Agriculture Minister Rakibul Hussain (Congress, Samaguri), Himanta Biswa Sarma (BJP, Jalukbari), Siddhartha Bhattacharyya (BJP, Guwahati East), Chandan Brahma (BPF, Sidli), Phani Bhusan Choudhury (AGP, Bongaigaon), Kamala Kanta Kalita (AGP, Chaygaon), Akon Bora (Congress, Dispur), Atul Bora (BJP, Dispur), Chandra Mohan Patwary (BJP, Dharmapur), Nilamanisen Deka (Congress, Dharmapur) and Keshav Mahanta (AGP, Kaliabor).

Among the 525 candidates, 57 are from Indian tiol Congress (INC), 47 from All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), 35 from Bharatiya Jata Party (BJP), 19 from Asom Ga Parishad (AGP), five from the Communist Party of India (CPI), nine from the Communist Party of India-Marxist CPI(M), 10 from Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) and 129 candidates from smaller or unregistered parties.

The Congress has fielded six women candidates, AIUDF two, BJP four, the CPI-M one and BPF one. Fifteen women nominees are from smaller and unregistered parties.

A total of 214 candidates, including 19 women, are contesting as Independents in various constituencies, poll officials said.

Web-casting systems have been installed in 505 polling stations which will be directly monitored by the Election Commission.

In seven constituencies - including all the four seats of Kamrup metro, the commission is using VVPAT systems along with EVMs.

Official sources said the EC has seized Rs 12.5 crore cash and 190 illegal weapons in the run-up to the elections.

During the first phase of peaceful polling for 65 assembly constituencies on April 4, 82.2 percent of the eligible voters exercised their franchise. If the turn-out in tomorrow's polling is more than 80 per cent, it would be an all-time record turnout in any election in the State.