GUWAHATI: As Guwahati voted in the third and final phase of the Assam assembly elections 2021, advocates of Assamese sub-nationalism insisted that the indigenous communities must always prevail, irrespective of electoral outcomes.
On Tuesday, as Guwahati voted, All Assam Students’ Union (Aasu) chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya vowed to continue to fight for indigenous identity. At the same time, anti-CAA activist and actor Zerifa Wahid said that the 2021 Assam elections will be remembered for giving regionalism a new lease of life as two new regional parties, Assam Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal, came out of the anti-CAA agitation.
“In this uniquely diverse state, the indigenous people must have the right to decide forever,” said Bhattacharyya.
Several high-profile artistes also came out to vote, voicing their thoughts on NRC and CAA. Singer Angarag ‘Papon’ Mahanta flew in from Mumbai to cast his vote. He said he didn’t vote only once when he was abroad. “Voting is our prime responsibility,” Papon said after casting his vote at AIDC.
In the afternoon, heartthrob Zubeen Garg came to the polling booth with wife Garima Saikia Garg. “The candidates should remember their resolutions. There are many parties this time. Lots of young politicians have come forward. We hope the new government will dedicatedly work for the people,” Garg said.
Zerifa Wahid, who joined AJP recently, was hopeful about her party making an impression in this election. Actor Ravi Sharma on the other hand felt that the government must not forget the goal of achieving a welfare state or else it will be thrown out. “There were two boys earlier – Bikash and Poriborton. But today, they are missing,” Sharma was sarcastic outside a polling booth.
Actor Prastuti Parasar voted for a stable government. “We want a development-oriented, disciplined government, which can give stability and work without vested interests. We are fed up with mud-slinging politics,” she said outside Beltola high school polling booth.