GUWAHATI, Dec 4 - Elections to panchayat bodies in sixteen administrative districts of the State will be held tomorrow. Balloting in 14,077 polling stations spread across 27 election districts will begin at 7 am and continue till 3 pm, Election Commission officials said.
The number of voters in these panchayat constituencies which will go to polls tomorrow is 92,19,938. This time, there has been a 21.49 per cent increase of voters over the last panchayat elections.
Around 98,500 polling personnel have been deployed for the first phase of the exercise. Around 10,000 personnel have been kept in reserve.
Meanwhile, in the interest of free and fair elections in the State, the Assam State Election Commission has issued some restrictions with immediate effect. The Commission has restricted conduct of any opinion or discussion on panchayat poll suggesting/ forecasting performance/ prospect of political parties or any candidates contesting in the election.
The Commission has also restricted conduct of any exit poll, publication and dissemination of result of such exit poll by means of the print or electronic media from 7 am of December 5 to 3-30 pm of December 9.
In the first phase polls, 796 candidates are contesting for 251 Zila Parishad member seats, 3799 candidates fighting for 1304 Anchalik Panchayat member seats, 4155 candidates vying for 1304 Gaon Panchayat president posts and 34,765 candidates in fray for 13040 GP member seats.
Altogether 442 candidates have been declared winners uncontested in the election districts which will go to polls in first phase. Of them 250 are from BJP, 106 from Congress, 15 from AGP, three from AIUDF, 65 independents and three from BPF.
The second phase of elections will be held on December 9. Counting will be held on December 12.
The last polls to the local bodies were held between December, 2012 and February, 2013.
