HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, May 6: The second phase of Panchayat polls is due in Assam on Wednesday and this phase will span 13 districts in central and western Assam, with voting to take place at 12,130 polling booths from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Around 91.31 lakh voters—comprising 46.30 lakh men, 44.99 lakh women, and 251 individuals in the ‘others’ category—are eligible to vote.
Voting in the second phase is set for Wednesday across 13 districts: Dhubri, South Salmara-Mankachar, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Bajali, Nalbari, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Hojai, Nagaon, Morigaon, and Darrang. Polls will be open from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, with repolling scheduled for May 9 if necessary. The results for both phases will be declared on May 11.
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A total of 91,31,127 voters—including 46,30,924 men, 44,99,952 women, and 251 others—are eligible to vote in this phase. The election features 29,608 candidates. Already, 1,289 candidates, including 21 Zila Parishad (ZP), 151 Anchalik Parishad (AP), and 1,117 Gaon Panchayat (GP) members, have been elected unopposed. This phase covers 181 ZP, 87 AP, and 10,530 GP constituencies.
In Kamrup district, preparations for the polls are complete. District Commissioner Deba Kumar Mishra announced that logistical and security arrangements have been finalised. Election materials will be dispatched starting at 7 am on May 6 from the Integrated DC Office and Dakshin Kamrup College in Mirza. Out of 1,333 polling stations in Kamrup (excluding Rangia), voting will be held in 1,274, as 59 saw uncontested results. Among these, 44 are designated as women-only polling stations.
A total of 5,096 officials, including 1,274 presiding officers, have been deployed, all of whom have undergone three rounds of training. Of the 36 candidates contesting in Kamrup’s 14 ZP constituencies, 17 are women. The district has 10,22,061 registered voters—5,09,333 men, 5,12,698 women, and 30 others. Ballot boxes will be secured at Dakshin Kamrup Girls’ College in Mirza and strong rooms at the old DC office in Amingaon after polling.
29,608 candidates are contesting for 181 Zila Parishad (ZP) seats, 87 Anchalik Parishads (AP), and 10,530 Gaon Panchayat (GP) wards. So far, 1,289 candidates have been elected unopposed, including 21 ZP members, 151 AP members, and 1,117 GP ward members.
In light of scattered incidents during the May 2 first phase, the Assam State Election Commission (SEC) has announced repolling at 44 booths in five districts on May 4. The first phase, conducted across 14 districts—including Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Sivasagar—saw a voter turnout of 70.19%. This was the first local election after constituency delimitation.
Panchayat elections are being held in 28 districts, excluding the seven under the Sixth Schedule autonomous councils. If needed, additional repolling will be held on May 9. Vote counting for both phases is scheduled for May 11.
The first phase of voting took place earlier in 14 districts, including Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Jorhat. The outcome of the second phase is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape of rural Assam.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spearheaded the BJP’s campaign, highlighting welfare schemes initiated during his four-year tenure, especially those targeting women, youth, and marginalised communities. He emphasised state efforts to combat child marriage and drug abuse, claiming positive results. The CM also criticised previous Congress governments, accusing them of superficial appeasement without tangible empowerment.
The BJP’s campaign was further bolstered by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and state BJP president Dilip Saikia. On the other hand, the Congress, led by Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, slammed the BJP for failing to address pressing issues like unemployment and price rise. Congress leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi and Bhupen Kumar Borah, pledged rural development and accused Sarma of diverting attention from the government’s failures.
