Third phase poll : 12.36% voter turnout in first two hours in Assam

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), 12.36% voter turnout was recorded till 9 am in four Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam, where third phase of polling is underway.

Polling has begun at 7 am and will end at 5 pm in four seats in Assam.

The third and final phase voting has begun in four parliamentary constituencies in Assam – Gauhati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar.

Around 14.52% voter turnout was recorded in Dhubri seat while 12.38% in Gauhati, 11.71% in Barpeta and 10.14% in Kokrajhar seat.

A total of 74,77,062 voters, with 38,15,335 male, 36,61,570 female and 157 voters in Third Gender category will vote from four Lok Sabha seats in 9577 polling stations.

54 candidates including perfume baron and sitting All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MP Badruddin Ajmal, state cabinet minister Pramila Rani Brahma, sitting Independent MP Naba Kumar Sarania, Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque, former MLAs Rafikul Islam, Urkhao Gwra Brahma, Abu Taher Bepari, Zabed Islam, are in fray in the third phase of poll.

For the third phase of poll, the Election Commission of India has set up 147 all women polling station in the four constituencies- 29 in Dhubri, 11 in Kokrajhar, 28 in Barpeta and 79 in Gauhati.

There are 524 remote polling stations for the third phase of poll in Assam.

Around 2.92 lakh Under-20 years voters will cast their votes in the third phase of poll.

On the other hand, around 20,000 central armed police personnel have been deployed in all the 9577 polling stations across the four Lok Sabha constituencies.

The first phase poll for five seats was held on April 11 and 78.27 percent voter turnout was recorded.

81.20 percent voter turnout was recorded in the second phase poll for five seats held on April 18.

(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)