The polling for the third and final phase of the Assam Assembly elections 2021 began at 7 am on Tuesday. It will continue till 6 pm.
The time for casting votes has been increased by an hour to ensure COVID-19 protocols are followed in the constituencies.
The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
Political parties
This phase will decide the fate of 337 candidates including the senior minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Hemanta Biswa Sarma in the Jalukbari constituency.
There are a total of 12 female candidates and 325 male candidates in the fray, whose fates will be decided by 79,19,641 general electors in the third phase.
At least 13 seats are Muslim majority, six reserved for the tribals and two reserved for the people belonging to the scheduled caste.
Both the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) this time are allies of the Congress-led ‘Mahajot’.
For elections this time, the Congress has fielded a total of 95 candidates and the BJP has put up 93 candidates, allotting the remaining seats to their allies.
The first phase of elections in the state was held on March 27 with a voter turnout of nearly 77 % while the second phase of polling was conducted on April 1 with a voter turnout of nearly 74.76%.
Constituencies
Polling will be conducted for 40 constituencies spread across 12 districts in the state. Assam’s Dharmapur constituency has the lowest number of voters with 1,41,592 votes while the Dispur LAC constituency has the largest number of electors with 4,11,636.
Gauhati West constituency has the highest number of candidates in the fray with 15 candidates while the Boko (SC) seat with three candidates has the least number of candidates on the ground.
The 40 constituencies going to polls in the third phase are:
Mankachar, Salmara South, Dhubri, Gauripur, Golakganj, Bilasipara West, Bilasipara East, Goalpara East, Goalpara West, Jaleswar, Gossaigaon, Kokrajhar West (ST), Kokrajhar East (ST), Sidli (ST), Bijni, Sorbhog, Bhabanipur, Tamulpur, Barama (ST), Chapaguri (ST), Bongaigaon, Abhayapuri North, Abhayapuri South (SC), Patacharkuchi, Barpeta, Jania, Baghbar, Sorukhetri, Chenga, Dharmapur, Dudhnoi (ST), Boko (SC), Chaygaon, Palasbari, Hajo, Jalukbari, Dispur, Gauhati East, Gauhati West Barkhetri.
COVID-19 protocols
The voters have been asked to wear masks and those without a mask will be provided with one at the polling stations.
Thermal scanning of voters will be done and facilities like sanitiser, soap and handwashing will be a part of Assured Minimum Facilities at each polling station.
(With agency inputs)
