HT Bureau
Guwahati, Nov 13: The bye-election in five assembly seats in Assam was completed peacefully on Wednesday with overall voter turnout of 72.83 percent.
The highest voter turnout of 78.10 percent was recorded in Samaguri assembly seats while Sidli constituency witnessed the lowest turnout of 71.50 percent.
Related Posts:
The Election Commission (EC) has not announced repoll in any constituency.
In Samaguri, some BJP supporters raised slogans against the Congress MP Rakibul Hussain and a vehicle of a journalist in Salpara area of the assembly constituency was attacked by some miscreants.
In two polling booths, Congress and BJP workers exchanged heated arguments; however, the situation was brought under control by the security forces.
The Samaguri assembly constituency has witnessed sporadic pre-poll violence with supporters of BJP and Congress clashing with each other on several occasions during the campaign of the bye-elections this time.
In the previous week, suspected armed criminals opened fire on a BJP march that included Barhampur MLA Jitu Goswami, injuring at least three people.
Attackers targeted BJP politicians taking part in the march, including MLA Goswami, in the Moriputhi neighborhood of Samaguri.
According to witnesses, the attackers first pelted stones at the participants before striking them with sticks. Three people were then hurt when unidentified persons opened fire on the group. The attack also caused some damage to Goswami’s car.
In the byelections, the BJP and Congress are having a direct contest in three assembly constituencies. The ruling party is fighting in three seats while its allies—Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) have given candidates in two places.
Byelections in five assembly constituencies—Dholai, Samaguri, Behali, Bongaigaon, and Sidli became due following the elections of five legislators in the lower house of the parliament in this years’ Lok Sabha polls.
The Dholai assembly constituency is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) community and Sidli seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST).
Except in Samaguri, where Congress heavyweight Rakibul Hussain has been winning since 2001, the rest of the four seats are with the BJP-led alliance.
The BJP has given candidates in three seats—Dholai, Samaguri and Behali.
Diplu Ranjan Sarma has been given ticket in Samaguri while Diganta Ghatowar and Nihar Ranjan Das will fight for the BJP in Behali and Dholai assembly segments respectively.
BJP’s former cabinet minister Parimal Suklabaidya successfully contested in the Silchar Lok Sabha seat and his earlier assembly seat Dholai got vacant. Meanwhile another senior BJP leader Ranjit Dutta was elected to the lower house of the parliament this time. He was representing the Behali seat in the assembly.
Meanwhile, another ally of the BJP—Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) will contest polls in the Bongaigaon assembly constituency.
United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) gave a ticket to Nirmal Kumar Brahma, who is the current district president of the party in Chirang.
