Assam is bracing for the inaugural phase of the Lok Sabha elections, marked by direct and triangular contests across five constituencies. This crucial phase will decide the fate of 35 candidates, including Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The constituencies of Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaziranga, Sonitpur, and Lakhimpur will be in focus, with polling scheduled from 7 am to 5 pm.
A significant total electorate of 86,47,869, comprising more women (43,64,859) than men (42,82,887), along with 123 third-gender voters, are eligible to cast their votes across 10,001 polling booths.
Tight security measures are in place, with 60 companies of security forces deployed across the five constituencies to ensure a peaceful voting process.
The political landscape sees the BJP contesting in all five seats, the Congress in four, and support extended to Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) in one, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in two, and All India Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) in one seat each.
In Dibrugarh, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal faces competition from United Opposition Forum’s Lurinjyoti Gogoi and Aam Aadmi Party’s Manoj Dhanowar. Jorhat witnesses a direct contest between Lok Sabha’s Deputy Leader of the Opposition Gaurav Gogoi and sitting BJP MP Topon Gogoi.
Kaziranga features a battle between BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and former Congress MLA Roselina Tirkey, both hailing from the tea workers’ community. Sonitpur, formerly Tezpur, sees a triangular contest among BJP’s Ranjit Dutta, Congress’s Prem Lal Ganju, and AAP’s Rishiraj Kaundinya. Lakhimpur hosts a face-off between sitting BJP MP Pradan Baruah and Uday Shankar Hazarika of the Congress.
Assam’s Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel assures comprehensive arrangements for a free, fair, and secure polling process. Live monitoring and webcasting will cover all 5,509 polling stations, with special provisions for model and People with Disability (PwD)-managed booths.
Out of the 10,001 polling booths, 92 are model polling stations, 11 are PwD-managed, and 752 are female-managed. A workforce of 40,004 polling and presiding officers will oversee the proceedings, utilizing Ballot Units (BUs), Control Units (CUs), and VVPATs.
To ensure voter convenience, Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) including drinking water, furniture, waiting sheds, toilets, lighting, creches, signage, and ramps are available at all polling stations. Moreover, arrangements such as transport for the elderly, volunteer assistance, and provision of wheelchairs are in place to facilitate smooth voting.
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