Over 78 per cent of the 95,11,732 voters turned out to cast their votes for the 65 legislative Assembly constituencies that went to polls in Assam in the first phase on Monday even as both the ruling Congress and the BJP-led alliance claimed that they would secure majority of the seats out of those polled on Monday.
The polling percentage is likely to be little over 80 per cent as the election officials are still waiting reports from some polling stations.
The polling in Assam started at 7 am and people came out in huge numbers to queue before the polling stations across the state.
“We have recorded 78.45 per cent of polling till evening but the final polling percentage is likely to cross little over 80 per cent. We are still waiting for final reports from some polling stations,” said Chief Electoral Officer Vijayendra while adding that the poll remained peaceful and without any incident.
A total of 65 EVMs developed snags in some constituencies but those were replaced later and smooth polling resumed.
The officials recorded highest polling of 85.19 per cent in Chabua constituency while Sarupathar (Golaghat) and Haflong (Dima Hasao) recorded lowest turnout of voters of only 67 per cent.
The 65 constituencies that went to the polls on Monday included those located in Upper Assam, north bank and in Barak valley. While ten constituencies of the 65 were reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), three of those polled on Monday reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC).
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who cast his vote at Jorhat, expressed happiness over the large scale polling and said that the Congress would get most of the seats of the 65. “We are happy that the polling percentage is good. I hope we will be in a position to get majority of these 65,” said Gogoi, while also appreciating the young voters in the State for coming out to cast their votes.
Similarly, BJP president Sarbananda Sonowal also thanked the people of Assam for such large turnout of voters. “People wants a change and so they have come out in such good numbers. I hope BJP will get good number of seats in Monday’s polling and will come out as a single majority party,’ said Sonowal.
Sonowal, who has contested from Majuli constituency, cast his vote at Dibrugarh.
It may be mentioned here that while the banned outfit Ulfa had urged the people to vote against ‘communal’ party like BJP, a group of intellectuals in Assam had also recently appealed to the people of Assam not to vote for the BJP, which, however, stirred a debate across the state.
Chief of Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF), which is an ally of the BJP in the polls, however, said that people of Assam do not cast their vote on the advice of the intellectuals and said that people of Assam are smart enough to elect the candidate they think best.
There were some incidents of sporadic clashes between supporters of rival parties in Merapani, Majuli, Sootea and some other places. He security forces deployed in the area, however, contained the situation immediately.