The second phase of Assam election is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 01. The fate of 345 candidates in 39 assembly constituencies would be decided by over 73.44 lakh voters in the second phase. A high-octane poll campaign for the second phase polls came to an end in Assam yesterday with heavyweights putting an all-out blitz of campaign to woo the voters.

The voting for the second phase will be held between 7 AM and 6 PM amid strict Covid-19 guidelines, with the day sealing the fate of five ministers, the deputy speaker and a few significant opposition faces.

Out of the total of 73,44,631 voters in the ACs to be contested in Second phase, 37,34,537 are males and 36,09,959 females, & 135 are third gender voters.

A total of 10,592 polling stations have been set up in 5,774 premises. There are 556 polling stations where only women officials will be deployed, while there are 117 model polling stations. The webcasting facility will be available at 5,315 polling stations.

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Election Commission of India has deployed 310 companies of forces to ensure free and fair polls. Round-the-clock patrolling is being carried out along with strict vigil in critical areas in all the constituencies spread over 13 districts in Barak Valley, the Hills districts and parts of Central and Lower Assam. A constable and a home guard will be deployed in each polling station with sector and zonal police officers to monitor the situation.

BJP is contesting on 34 seats, while its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) are fighting in six and three seats, respectively. There are “friendly contests” between the BJP and the AGP in Patharkandi and Algapur, while the BJP is engaged in similar fights with the UPPL in Majbat and Kalaigaon. The Grand Alliance’s Congress is contesting in 28 seats, the AIUDF in seven and Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) in four. The newly-formed Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) is contesting in 19 seats.

Candidates in the fray

Minister Parimal Suklabaidya of BJP is in a direct contest with Congress’s Kamakhya Prasad Mala in Dholai, while Minister Pijush Hazarika is locked in a triangular contest with Congress’s Swapan Kumar Mandal and AJP’s Bubul Das from Jagiroad (SC). His cabinet colleague Bhabesh Kalita is in a direct fight with AJP’s Babul Saharia in the Rangiya constituency.

Another minister from BJP, Sum Ronghang, on being denied ticket joined the Congress and is locked in a direct fight against BJP’s Bidya Sing Engleng in Diphu.

In Udalguri (ST) constituency, there are only two candidates. BPF minister Rihon Daimary is engaged in a direct contest with UPPL’s Gobinda Chandra Basumatary, who is currently the deputy chief of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar of the BJP is in a straight contest with AIUDF’s Karim Uddin Barbhuiyan in Sonai.

Regions in contest

The six regions which will vote on April 01 are Barak Valley with 15 seats, Central Assam with 12 seats, Hill districts with 5 seats, Bodoland Territorial Council with 4 seats, Kamrup with 2 seats, & Lower Assam with 1 seat.

This distribution makes it the most complex of all the phases of polling, making it an assembly poll in itself, and includes every sub-region within Assam with the exception of Upper and North Assam, which have already voted in the first phase on March 27.

The last phase of Assam election is scheduled on April 6. The vote counting will take place on May 2.