Assam: Bye-poll turnout nearly 73%; fate of 34 candidates sealed in EVMs

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: With the polling for the bye-poll in five constituencies in the state concluding in the evening today, the fate of the 34 candidates in the poll fray is now locked in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The results will be declared on November 23, and it remains to be seen who has the last laugh.

The turnout in bye-polls is generally less than that during general elections, but the turnout for the bye-polls this time has displayed a different trend, with 72.83% turnout recorded till the time of filing this report.

According to Election Department sources, the turnout figure is likely to increase as polling is going on in some polling stations as many electors chose to vote in the final hours of the polling. The polling hours were from 7 am to 5 pm on Wednesday. Election Commission of India (ECI) rules stipulate that if any voter enters a polling station even one second before 5 pm or closing time, the voter is eligible to cast his or her vote.

Overall, the polling has been peaceful, barring a few incidents in the Samaguri constituency. In the last few days, pre-poll violence was marked during the campaigning in Samaguri. BJP’s Diplu Ranjan Sarmah and Congress’ Tanzil Hussain are the main contenders for the Samaguri seat. There are 11 candidates in the fray for the Samaguri seat. The highest turnout of 80% was recorded in the Samaguri constituency, till the time of filing this report.

The other four constituencies where the bye-poll was held are Dholai, Sidli, Bongaigaon, and Behali. Winning the seats of Behali and Samaguri has become a prestige issue for the BJP and the Congress.

The total electors in the five LACs are 9,09,057: 4,54,075 males, 4,54,963 females, and 19 of the third gender. The total number of polling stations in the five LACs is 1,078, including 11 model polling stations and 14 woman-managed polling stations. Sidli LAC has the highest number of 2,17,183 electors.

The bye-poll to these five constituencies was necessitated due to the sitting MLAs getting elected to the 18th Lok Sabha after the general election was held some time ago. The tenure of the winning candidates in the bye-poll will be around 18 months, as the Assembly election in the state is slated to be held in April 2026, and the winning candidate will occupy the seat till then.

Also Read: Assam: Officials rush to polling stations ahead of Samaguri Assembly bye-election

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