GUWAHATI, Sept 13 � Nearly 70 per cent polling was recorded in the peaceful bye-election for three seats of the Assam Assembly today to decide the fate of 25 contestants in Silchar, Lakhipur and Jamunamukh, reports PTI.
Jamunamukh in Nagaon district witnessed over 74 per cent polling, while Silchar and Lakhipur in Cachar district saw 63 per cent and 66 per cent voting respectively, Election Commission officials said.
Officials said re-polling may be held in three polling booths each in Silchar and Lakhipur constituencies due to malfunctioning of electronic voting machines.
Jamunamukh has AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal�s son Abdur Rahim Ajmal, Bashir Uddin Laskar (Cong) and Bilal Uddin (BJP), besides two others in the fray.
The bye-election was necessitated following the election of Silchar Congress MLA Sushmita Dev and Jamunamukh AIUDF MLA Mohammad Sirajuddin Ajmal to the Lok Sabha during the last general polls. The death of sitting Congress MLA Dinesh Prasad Goala necessitated bypoll in Lakhipur. Counting of votes will be held on September 16.
Our Silchar Correspondent adds: By-elections to Silchar registered 63 per cent polling while it was 66 per cent in Lakhipur at the close of the voting process.
A few instances of faulty electronic voting machines (EVMs) and long waits in as many as four polling stations in Silchar and two in Lakhipur were reported.
Voting in 225 polling stations in Silchar LAC began on a peaceful but slow note. A sluggish turnout was recorded at many polling stations across the constituency for a major part of the day.
Meanwhile, APCC general secretary Ramesh Jain filed a complaint with the Election Observer and the Chief Electoral Officer alleging violation of Model Code of Conduct by the Bharatiya Janata Party as it had issued advertisement in local Bengali dailies.
Talking to this Correspondent over phone, Jain said that the complaint is against print advertisements in three local dailies to vote for BJP, on the polling day, which is a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
Jain added that the advertisement published in the dailies had no mention of the publisher on behalf of the party, which also breached the code. He informed that copies of the complaint have been sent to the Election Commission and editors of the dailies carrying the advertisement.
On the other hand, BJP State spokesperson Dr Rajdeep Roy said that the advertisement was issued in the local newspapers by the national media cell of the BJP and that it is officially permissible to give such advertisements even on poll day.
