Voters queue up outside a polling station in Assam's Kokrajhar. (Photo| EPS
GUWAHATI: The third and final phase Assam polls on Tuesday recorded a voters’ turnout of 82.28%.
The first two phases of polling in 47 and 39 constituencies had recorded voters’ turnout of 79.97% and 80.96% respectively.
Forty of the state’s 126 constituencies, spread across 12 districts of Lower Assam, went to polls on Tuesday. In the 2016 elections, BJP and Congress had won 11 of these seats each, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) six, Bodoland People’s Front eight, and Asom Gana Parishad four.
Polling was by and large peaceful although there were some stray incidents of violence. The police had to use force when two groups of people clashed over some issues at a polling station in the Golakganj constituency in Dhubri district.
At Guptipara in Bilasipara West constituency, also in Dhubri district, a group of people attacked security personnel over the distribution of free masks. The police restored order by resorting to lathicharge.
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The police used batons also outside a polling booth in Bongaigaon to restore order after a large crowd arrived leading to a commotion.
Siramjit Rabha, a 92-year-old voter, who said he has been voting since independence, was felicitated by election officials after he had cast his vote at the Kothakuthi Lower Primary School under the Dudhnai constituency in Goalpara district.
Of Assam’s 2,33,74,087 voters, 2,89,474 were aged 80 years or above and 1,38,290 were voters with disabilities.
Meanwhile, Assam Assembly Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar was interrogated twice in the past 48 hours in connection with an incident of firing by his bodyguards on April 1. Five of them were suspended.
Three people were injured when the personnel opened fire after clashes had broken out between BJP and AIUDF supporters at a polling station in the Sonai constituency.
