The ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress are likely to have straight battles in the bypolls to the lakhimpur lok Sabha constituency and Baithalangso legislative Assembly constituency which will be held on Saturday.
A total of 16,91,313 electorates are expected to cast their votes across 1,200 polling stations on Saturday to elect their candidates in the respective constituencies.
Election officials said that polling will be started from 7 am on Saturday and will continue till 4 pm. “Polling officials have been sent to their respective polling stations and security arrangements have been done to ensure a peaceful conduct of the polls on Saturday,” said a senior official of the office of the Chief Electoral officer here.
There are a total of eight candidates in the electoral fray — five for the lakhimpur lok Sabha constituency and three for the Baithalangso Assembly seat.
While the BJP has fielded MlA Pradan Baruah in lakhimpur parliamentary constituency, the Congress has put up senior party member Dr Hema Hari Pegu as their candidates in the constituency. Besides these two, the CPI has fielded Amiya Kumar Handique while the SUCI has fielded Hem Kanta Miri as the party candidate. Former BJP MlA from Doomdooma constituency Dilip Moran who had resigned from the party after denial of ticket to him, is in the fray as Independent candidate.
On the other hand, the BJP has fielded Mansing Rongpi in Baithalangso constituency and the Congress Rupon Sing Ronghang. Another candidate Rajen Timung has also filed his nomination as Independent candidate.
The lakhimpur lok Sabha seat fell vacant after former Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal relinquished his membership from the lok Sabha to become the Chief Minister earlier this year.
The Baithalangso legislative assembly fell vacant after Congress legislator Mansing Rongpi resigned from the Assam legislative assembly to join the BJP.
The counting of votes will take place on November 22.