HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, April 19: Despite inclement weather, there was a wave of excitement among voters in Dibrugarh as they came out in large numbers to cast their votes for the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat in the first phase of election on Friday.
Long queues were observed at different polling stations as early as 5 am, two hours before polling began. Polling officially began at 7 am. From women voters to elderly and first-time voters, there was palpable excitement as they lined up to exercise their right to franchise.
The atmosphere at the polling stations was peaceful, with voters posing with their inked fingers after casting their ballots. The district administration had made elaborate arrangements to ensure a smooth voting process in all the 1,923 polling stations of the constituency.
The Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency comprises of 10 assembly segments spread over Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts, including Dibrugarh, Chabua-Lahowal, Khowang, Duliajan, Tingkhong, Naharkatia, Margherita, Digboi, Makum and Tinsukia. In total, the constituency has 16,59,588 voters, including 8,49,563 female voters, 8,09,990 male voters and 35 third gender voters.
As per the Election Commission of India figures, 70.65 per cent of poling was recorded in Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency till 5 pm. However the figure is likely to go up as the final data has not been computed.
Among the three candidates for the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and Union minister, Sarbananda Sonowal cast his vote at the Dibrugarh Sahitya Sabha polling station in the morning hours.
Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) candidate Lurinjyoti Gogoi chose to exercise his franchise at Laipuli ME School in Tinsukia, while Aam Admi Party (AAP) candidate Manoj Dhanowar cast his vote at the Dainijan LP School in Dibrugarh.
The candidates urged the voters of the constituency to come and exercise their right to vote in the great festival of democracy. Speaking about the high turnout, Sarbananda Sonowal stated, “I am overwhelmed to see the enthusiasm of the people in Dibrugarh. This election is important for the development of our constituency and I urge everyone to exercise their right to vote and participate in the great festival of democracy.”
AJP candidate Lurinjyoti Gogoi emphasised the significance of voting, stating, “Every vote counts, and I believe that the people of Dibrugarh will make an informed choice for the betterment of the constituency.”
Aam Aadmi Party candidate Manoj Dhanowar echoed the sentiment, saying, “Our votes have the power to shape the future and I am confident that the people will make the right decision.”
Only June 4, when counting will take place, will reveal if the luck of these candidates has favoured them.
