GUWAHATI: Over 30% of more than 9 lakh electors cast their votes by 11 am on Wednesday during by-elections to five assembly constituencies in Assam, according to official data.
According to the Election Commission of India, precisely 30.31 per cent of 9,09,057 electors, including 4,54,963 women and 19 third gender, exercised their franchise in the initial four hours until 11 am to determine the fate of 34 candidates. There are 2,617 service voters in these five constituencies, where polling is proceeding according to pre-delimitation data, an official stated.
Bypolls are occurring in Dholai (SC), Sidli (ST), Bongaigaon, Behali, and Samaguri assembly constituencies as these seats became vacant with their representatives winning the recent Lok Sabha elections. Bongaigaon registered the highest turnout of 32.9 per cent, followed by Sidli at 32.2 per cent, Samaguri at 31.65 per cent, Behali at 30.4 per cent, and Dholai at 24.65 per cent, ECI data indicated.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged the people of Behali, Samaguri, Dholai, Bongaigaon, and Sidli to participate actively in the bypolls. "Your voice matters, and the choice you make will determine the course of your constituency's development in the forthcoming days," he stated in a post on X.
Voting commenced at 7 am and shall conclude at 5 pm. Approximately 9,000 polling personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth elections across 1,078 polling stations in the five seats. Webcasting is being conducted from 592 polling stations, whilst 11 booths have been designated as model polling stations and 14 are being managed by all-women staff.
A total of 15 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), comprising roughly 1,500 personnel, have been deployed across all polling stations, supported by Assam Police.