Summary of this article
Polling for the 126-member Assembly began at 7 am, with 17.87% turnout recorded by 9 am across 35 districts.
Majuli recorded the highest early turnout, while Tamulpur saw the lowest; voting continues till 5 pm.
A voter turnout of 17.87 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of the Assam Assembly elections, where the BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is attempting to regain a state it lost a decade ago.
Polling began at 7 am for the 126-member Assembly, and 17.87 per cent of the state’s 2.5 crore voters had cast their ballots by 9 am, officials said.
A total of 722 candidates are in the fray, with the contest largely shaping up as a direct battle between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the Congress-led opposition bloc.
The river island of Majuli recorded the highest turnout in the first two hours at 20.03 per cent, while Tamulpur in the Bodoland Territorial Region saw the lowest at 15.32 per cent.
Despite rain in several parts of the state, voters began queuing outside polling booths early in the morning.
Among prominent candidates who have cast their votes so far are Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia in Nazira, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi in Khowang, and BJP’s Pradyut Bordoloi.
Voting is taking place across 31,490 polling stations in 35 districts, with polling scheduled to conclude at 5 pm.
Key candidates whose electoral fortunes will be decided include Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi.
Within the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal is contesting 13 seats, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) 10, CPI(M) 3, and APHLC 2. Other parties in the fray include AAP (18), UPPL (18), TMC (22), JMM (16), along with 258 Independents.
Algapur-Katlicherra and Karimganj South have the highest number of candidates at 15 each, while nine constituencies—Rangia, Jagiroad (SC), Hojai, Naduar, Jonai (ST), Doomdooma, Mahmora, Teok, and Lakhipur—have only two candidates each.
(inputs from PTI)
