Lok Sabha Election: Star campaigners hit trail on penultimate day

Campaigning for phase III to close at 5 p.m. today

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The electioneering on the penultimate day of campaigning for the third phase of the Lok Sabha election reached a feverish pitch, with the poll campaigning coming to an end at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The chief electoral officer of Assam, Anurag Goel, issued a statement today, saying that electioneering has to end before 48 hours from the time voting starts for the third phase of the LS Poll. He said that the polling will take place on May 7, so the poll campaigning has to end by 5 p.m. on May 5. "After 5 p.m. on May 5, no election-related meetings, processions, etc. can be held. No electioneering can take place in crowded areas. Moreover, campaigning is prohibited through the medium of television, cinematography, or any such medium. During this time, no campaigning can be done at any cultural show, drama programme, or entertainment event to influence voters," Goel stated.

Polling for the third phase will take place in the four parliamentary constituencies of Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Barpeta, and Guwahati on May 7. Polling on that day will start at 7 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m.

On the penultimate day of campaigning, star campaigners of the political parties fielding candidates in the third phase had a hectic day, moving from one rally to another, seeking the support of the people for their candidates.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma closed his campaigning for the day by attending a rally at Fancy Bazar in Guwahati, where he was accompanied by BJP MP Pabitra Margherita and MP Bhubeneswar Kalita. He also campaigned for the BJP's Guwahati Lok Sabha constituency candidate, Bijuli Kalita Medhi, at Chandmari and Ganeshpara in the city. Earlier in the day, the CM attended a huge rally in Bongaigaon.

The CM interacted with the people in the three election rally venues in Guwahati, apart from the one in Bongaigaon. His interactions were lively, interspersed with comments from the public and ready replies by the CM.

The other star campaigners on the campaign trail on Saturday were AGP president Atul Bora, Congress leader and MP Gaurav Gogoi, APCC president Bhupen Borah, TMC state president Ripun Bora, peasant leader and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, AIUDF supremo Badruddin Ajmal, and others.

Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal was also on the campaign trail, garnering support for the alliance party AGP candidate for Dhubri, Zabed Islam, in Gauripur and Sapotgram in Dhubri district.

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