GUWAHATI, April 10 � The State goes to the second and final phase of the Assembly polls tomorrow, which will determine the fate of 496 candidates in 64 constituencies.
There are 12,589 polling stations for the second phase, of which 2,033 and 4,175 have been identified as hyper-sensitive and sensitive respectively.
The first phase of the polls was held on April 4 where 485 candidates contested in 62 constituencies.
Polling will begin at 7 am and people will be able to exercise their right to franchise till 3 pm.
For the second phase, the Congress is fielding 64 candidates, followed by BJP (58), AGP (53), AIUDF (49), and BPF (26), among others. There are 110 independent candidates.
Campaigning for the second phase ended on Saturday which saw a number of Congress and BJP heavyweights joining their party campaign in the State.
While the shadow of violence loomed large over the State following the threat of the banned ULFA to the Congress, the first phase passed off without any major untoward
incident. Incidentally, the raising day of the ULFA which falls on April 7 too did not witness any display of fire power from the ultra outfit, as was feared.
�Security was adequate during the first phase and we are satisfied with the arrangements for the second phase as well. A security blanket has been put over all the polling stations and their periphery,� a police official said.
Some 500 companies of Central paramilitary security forces have been engaged for the second phase of the polls.
For the second phase, 1,539 micro observers have been engaged to oversee the poll process. There will be video and still camera monitoring and coverage of 1,148 polling stations during the second phase.
PTI adds: Prominent candidates in the fray are: Revenue Minister Bhumidhar Barman from Borkhetry, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from Jalukbari, Tourism and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain from Samaguri, Education Minister Gautam Bora from Batadraba and Social Welfare Minister Akon Bora from Dispur.
The BPF, the coalition partner of ruling Congress, also has three Ministers � Agriculture Minister Pramila Rani Brahma from Kokrajhar (East), Transport Minister Chandan Brahma from Sidli and Public Health and Engineering Rihon Daimari from Udalguri (ST) � among the eleven sitting party MLAs in the fray.
Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary, former Speaker Pulakesh Barua, former AGP Ministers Thaneswar Boro, Rekha Rani Das Boro, Atul Bora and Girin Barua are also in the fray.
The Congress, though burdened with an anti-incumbency factor, is expecting to enter the Assembly for the third consecutive term and was engaged in a triangular contest with the BJP and AGP though the Bodoland Peoples� Front (BPF) and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) were expected to play a major role in the formation of the next government in the state.
The BPF has 11 sitting MLAs out of the 12 Assembly constituencies in four BTAD districts while 26 constituencies are minority dominated in the three districts of Dhubri, Barpeta and Nagaon.
