Assam Elections 2021 Phase 2 Voting Tomorrow: A total of 39 constituencies out of 126 in Assam will vote tomorrow to elect their representatives out of 345 candidates, including 26 women. The polling for phase-2 of the Assam Assembly Elections will be held from 7 am to 6 pm amid tight security and strict COVID-19 guidelines. The fate of several ministers and sitting MLAs will be decided by 73,44,631 voters. Of these, 37,34,537 are males, 36,09,959 are females and 135 are transgenders. The Election Commission has set up 10,592 polling stations for the second phase elections.
The ruling BJP is contesting from 34 seats and its allies, the AGP on six and the UPPL on three. Interestingly, there are friendly contests between the BJP and the AGP in Patharkandi and Algapur, while the BJP is engaged in similar fights with the UPPL in Majbat and Kalaigaon. The Congress is contesting from 27 seats, its allies AIUDF on eight and BPF on four seats. All the 39 constituencies are spread over 13 districts of the Barak Valley, three hill districts, and parts of central and lower Assam. The Barak Valley alone has 15 seats. The BJP had won eight of these 15 seats in 2016, reducing Congress to just three. The BJP is confident of further improving its tally while the Congress is looking to bounce back in the region.
Prominent candidates in the Phase-2 polls include BJP ministers Parimal Suklabaidya from Dholai, Bhabesh Kalita from Rangiya, Pijush Hazarika from Jagiroad, Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar from Sonai, Sum Ronghang from Diphu, Rihon Daimary from Udalguri, Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary from Panery, former Congress minister Siddeque Ahmed from Karimganj South, sitting MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha from Karimganj North, sitting AIUDF MLAs Suzamuddin Laskar from Katlicherra and Nizamuddin Choudhury form Algapur. AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal’s brother Sirajuddin Ajmal is contesting from Jamunamukh, former Congress spokesperson Durga Das Boro is contesting as a BPF candidate from Kalaigaon, former Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul, who resigned from the BJP after being denied a ticket, is contesting as an Independent from Silchar, and former Congress minister Gautam Roy is contesting on a BJP ticket from Katigora.
A total of 175 candidates are contesting the phase two elections from 15 seats in the three districts of Karimganj, Hailakandi and Cachar. The Algapur constituency has the highest 19 candidates. There are only two candidates in the Udalguri (ST) constituency where BPF minister Rihon Daimary is engaged in a direct contest with UPPL’s Gobinda Chandra Basumatary, who is currently the deputy chief of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). The elections will be held amid tight security with 310 companies of forces being deployed for the second phase. A total of 42,368 polling personnel have been deployed for the second phase. The second phase polling will also involve 26 general observers, 12 police observers, 16 expenditure observers and 807 micro-observers.
