1. Bye-elections for five crucial Assam assembly seats began on Wednesday, a critical moment for the ruling and opposition parties.
2. Contested constituencies are Dholai (SC), Sidli (ST), Bongaigaon, Behali, and Samaguri.
3. These seats were vacated as previous representatives moved to the Lok Sabha.
Guwahati, Nov 13: The by-elections for five key assembly seats in Assam began on Wednesday, marking a pivotal phase for the ruling coalition and opposition parties.
The constituencies in contention include Dholai (SC), Sidli (ST), Bongaigaon, Behali, and Samaguri, vacated when their representatives transitioned to the Lok Sabha.
A total of 34 candidates, including several newcomers to the political scene, are vying for these seats. Voting commenced at 7 AM and will continue until 5 PM across 1,078 polling stations.
Approximately nine lakh registered voters are expected to cast their ballots, supported by around 9,000 polling staff to ensure a smooth and transparent electoral process.
Security and oversight have been heightened, with webcasting set up at 592 polling stations, 11 designated as model polling booths, and 14 fully staffed by women.
Security measures are robust, with the deployment of 15 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces, totaling 1,500 personnel, in coordination with Assam Police.
Samaguri has become a key battleground, where Tanzil Hussain of Congress, son of Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain, is challenging BJP’s Diplu Ranjan Sarma. In Behali, former BJP member Jayanta Borah, now running for Congress, faces BJP’s Diganta Ghatowal, alongside Lakhikanta Kurmi (CPI(ML) Liberation) and Ananta Gogoi (AAP).
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In Bongaigaon, a stronghold for the AGP since 1985, Diptimayee Choudhury, wife of MP Phani Bhusan Choudhury, seeks to maintain her family’s legacy, facing off against Congress’s Brajenjit Singha.
The Dholai constituency in Barak Valley features a contest between BJP’s Nihar Ranjan Das and Congress’s Dhrubajyoti Purkayastha.
Meanwhile, in Sidli, situated in the Bodoland Territorial Region, Congress has fielded a candidate for the first time in over 20 years, with Sanjib Warie competing against UPPL’s Nirmal Kumar Brahma and BPF’s Suddho Kumar Basumatary.
Of these seats, Samaguri was previously held by Congress, while the other four were part of the BJP-led alliance. Currently, the BJP holds 61 seats in Assam’s 126-member assembly, with AGP contributing eight seats and UPPL six.
Congress leads the opposition with 26 seats, supported by AIUDF’s 15, BPF’s three, and CPI(M) as part of a left coalition.
