GUWAHATI: The Election Commission on Tuesday issued the notification for the first phase of assembly election in Assam to be held on March 27 in 47 constituencies spread over 12 districts. These constituencies account for over 80 lakh voters.
The first phase constituencies have the biggest concentration of tea garden voters who will decide the fate of parties in as many as 27 seats.
The first phase constituencies include five high-profile seats — Majuli (ST) represented by CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Jorhat represented by speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami, Golaghat represented by AGP president and agriculture minister Atul Bora, Koliabor, which is represented by AGP working president and water resource minister Keshab Mahanta and Nazira, which is represented by former Congress leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia.
In 2016, the BJP-AGP combine had won 35 of these 47 seats (BJP 27, AGP 8), while Congress had won in nine and AIUDF in two. One seat was won by an Independent candidate, Bhuban Pegu, who has now joined BJP.
The last date for submission of nomination papers is on March 9 and scrutiny will be done on March 10. Withdrawal of candidature is allowed till March 12. The election to the 126-member legislative in the state will be held in three phases and counting of votes will be on May 2. The second phase will be held in 37 constituencies on April 1 and third phase on April 6 in the remaining 40 seats. The ECI has also undertaken a slew of initiatives to ensure that electors who are unable to come to polling booths and absentee voters are facilitated in every way to establish wider participation in the electoral process.
The category of absentee voters include persons with disabilities (PwD), senior citizens, persons employed in essential services e.g., railways, state transport and aviation etc.
This time, the EC has for the first time introduced postal ballot facility for senior citizens (above 80 years), persons with disabilities (PwD), differently-abled persons employed in essential services, Covid-positive and suspects in quarantine.
Absentee voters wishing to vote by postal ballots will have to make an application to the returning officer in Form-12D of the concerned constituency within five days following the date of notification of the election concerned.