The stage is set for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections with polling to take place at four constituencies of the State tomorrow.
The four constituencies which will go to the polls in the third phase are Guwahati, Dhubri, Barpeta and Kokrajhar.
All arrangements have been put in place for smooth conduct of the polls, said Election Commission officials.
Polling will start at 7 am and continue till 5 pm.
Polling personnel have reached their respective locations of duty. Polling teams started leaving for their allotted points since yesterday morning itself, officials said.
A total of 38,308 polling personnel have been deployed in the four constituencies. There are also 436 Micro Observers.
Meanwhile, security arrangements have been beefed up in view of the polls.
A total of 200 companies of security personnel have been deployed in the areas which will vote tomorrow.
Altogether, 54 candidates are in fray in the four constituencies, including 17 in Guwahati, 15 in Dhubri, 13 in Barpeta, and nine in Kokrajhar.
There are a total of 9,577 polling stations in the constituencies going to the elections tomorrow, including 2,592 in Guwahati, 2,450 in Dhubri, 2,347 in Kokrajhar, and 2,188 in Barpeta.
The total number of electors in the four constituencies is 74,77,062. Of the total, 38,15,335 are male electors, 36,61,570 are female and 157 are from the ‘third gender’.
In Guwahati constituency, there are a total of 21,78,617 electors, including 11,00,746 male, 10,77,793 female and 78 of third gender.
Dhubri has 18,56,168 electors, including 9,48,971 male, 9,07,173 female and 24 from third gender.
The size of the electorate in Barpeta constituency is 17,65,423, including 9,00,318 male, 8,65,066 female and 39 from third gender.
Kokrajhar has a total electorate of 16,76,854. They include 8,65,300 male, 8,11,538 female and 16 of third gender.
In the last parliamentary elections held in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had emerged victorious from Guwahati and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) had won from Barpeta and Dhubri, while the Kokrajhar seat had gone to an Independent candidate.
Unlike 2014, this time the BJP has an alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), as well as with three other smaller local parties.
As part of the seat-sharing arrangement among the NDA constituents, BJP has fielded its own candidate from the Guwahati constituency, while Barpeta and Dhubri have been allotted to the AGP, and the Kokrajhar seat to the BPF.
Congress is contesting from all the four constituencies.
The AIUDF and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) have entered into a “political understanding” for the Dhubri, Barpeta and Kokrajhar constituencies. While the AIUDF is supporting the UPPL candidate in Kokrajhar, the UPPL has extended support to the AIUDF in Dhubri and Barpeta.
This time the main contest in the Guwahati constituency is expected to be between the BJP and the Congress.
Both Dhubri and Barpeta constituencies are likely to witness three-cornered contests between the Congress, the AIUDF and the AGP.
A triangular contest between sitting Independent MP Naba Kumar Sarania and the candidates of the BPF and the UPPL is expected in the Kokrajhar constituency.
News Desk Report-GTM
