Parties urge EC to hold Assam polls in one or two phases, raise Bihu concerns

Guwahati, Feb 17: Political parties in Assam, on Tuesday, urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct the forthcoming Assembly elections in a single phase or, at most, two phases, while asking it to factor in the Bohag Bihu festival while finalising the poll schedule.

A full bench of the ECI, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, is on a three-day visit to the State to review preparedness for the Assembly elections.

The delegation includes Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, along with Assam Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel. The Commission held separate meetings with national and regional parties in Guwahati.

Among national parties, representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) attended the consultations. Regional parties, including the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), also met the panel.

According to officials, most parties recommended holding the elections in one or two phases to ensure administrative convenience and voter participation.

Several parties also urged the Commission to avoid scheduling polls during Bohag Bihu, one of Assam’s most significant cultural festivals.

An AIUDF representative said the party favoured holding elections after the festival. “We told the Election Commission that the elections may be held after Bohag Bihu, around April 17 or 18. We are open to the number of phases required,” he said.

In contrast, an AGP representative said the party preferred that elections be completed before the festival. “The month of Bihu is a time of celebration, and conducting polls during this period would inconvenience people and disrupt festivities,” he said.

The Congress delegation, led by Ripun Bora, raised concerns over security and electoral fairness. “We urged the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections. In previous polls, there were attacks on Congress workers and restrictions on their political activities. In several areas, our workers were prevented from carrying out party work even during the model code of conduct,” Bora said, adding that the party opposed requiring permission for routine political meetings.

Congress leader Rakibul Hussain said the Commission assured impartiality. “The Election Commission has promised that once the notification is issued, it will act independently and ensure fairness. We hope it will take an unbiased decision,” he said.

Officials said most parties appreciated the Special Revision of electoral rolls and offered suggestions to ensure peaceful polling.

The Commission is also scheduled to meet senior bureaucrats, including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Director General of Police, to review law and order preparedness. The ECI team will address the media on February 18, the final day of its visit.

Elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly are expected in March–April, with the current Assembly’s term ending on May 20.

With inputs from PTI