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Stage set for final phase of polls today

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 10 - The stage is set for the second and final phase of polls in Assam tomorrow when people in 61 Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs) spread across lower Assam, BTAD region and central Assam will cast their votes.

Among the prominent candidates in the fray during the second phase are former Chief Minister and AGP leader PK Mahanta from Barhampur, former minister and BJP strongman Himanta Biswa Sarma from Jalukbari, six-time MLA and AGP leader Phani Bhusan Choudhury from Bongaigaon, Congress leader and senior minister Rakibul Hussain from Samuguri, Atul Bora of BJP from Dispur, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal from South Salmara, former minister Akon Bora from Dispur, senior BPF leader Pramila Rani Brahma from Kokrajhar East, former minister and BPF leader Chandan Brahma from Sidli and senior minister Chandan Sarkar from Abhayapuri South.

Voting will start at 7 am tomorrow and continue till 5 pm.

�Adequate measures have been taken to ensure that polling take place in a free, fair and peaceful manner,� said an Election Commission official.

A total of 1,04,53,277 electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the second phase. Among them, 53,91,204 are male voters, 50,44,051 are female voters and 22 are voters from the third gender.

A total of 525 candidates are in fray for the 61 LACs. There are 48 female candidates.

There are 182 candidates from recognized political parties, including 35 from BJP, 57 from Congress, five from CPI, nine from CPI(M), 19 from AGP, 47 from AIUDF and 10 from BPF.

In addition, there are 129 contestants from other registered parties and 214 Independents trying their luck in the final phase.

Hajo LAC has the maximum number of 16 candidates.

There are 12,699 polling stations for the second phase spread across the 61 LACs and 15 revenue districts.

Of the total, 3,890 polling stations in the second phase have been identified as sensitive and another 1,671 as hypersensitive.

Polling parties have already reached most of the polling stations. A total of 509 polling parties left for their respective polling stations yesterday while another 12,190 polling parties departed today.

A total of 12,699 presiding officers and 40,001 polling officers have been deployed.

The Election Commission has deployed 525 companies of armed police forces, including 423 companies of Central armed police forces.

Webcasting will be done at 505 polling stations and micro-observers will be present at 916 polling stations. There are 461 polling stations where static video cameras have been positioned.

In addition, there are 39 general observers, 20 expenditure observers and 10 police observers.

There will be 73 all-women polling stations in the areas going to the polls in the final phase tomorrow. There will be 148 model polling stations where facilities like welcoming groups, medical teams and eateries will be present and felicitation of eldest voter in traditional manner and tree plantation by elders will be carried out.

The Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) facility will be used in the seven LACs of Dhubri, Bongaigaon, Goalpara East, Jalukbari, Dispur, Guwahati East and Guwahati West.

During the second phase, the Election Commission has deployed 3,094 heavy vehicles, 2,223 medium vehicles, 5,737 light vehicles, 450 boats and 65 bullock carts for poll duty.

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