Assam bypolls: 76 per cent voting in 5 assembly seats

The by-elections to five assembly constituencies in Assam saw a remarkable voter turnout, with nearly 76% of the electorate casting their votes on Wednesday, according to official data released by the Election Commission on Thursday. A total of 9,09,057 electors, including 4,54,963 women and 19 members of the third gender, participated in the bypolls to decide the fate of 34 candidates.

The polling took place in the Dholai (SC), Sidli (ST), Bongaigaon, Behali, and Samaguri constituencies, which were vacated following the success of the previous elected representatives in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The Election Commission reported a total voter turnout of 75.67%, with significant participation from both urban and rural areas.

Among the five constituencies, Samaguri recorded the highest voter engagement at 79.55%, followed closely by Bongaigaon with 77.89%, Behali at 75.79%, Sidli at 75.47%, and Dholai at 70.31%. Despite the large turnout, there were reports of sporadic incidents of violence from Samaguri and Behali during the voting process.

Security measures were robust, with around 9,000 polling personnel deployed at 1,078 polling stations across the five constituencies. In an effort to ensure transparency and fairness, 592 polling stations were equipped with webcasting facilities. Special measures were also taken, with 11 booths designated as model polling stations and 14 stations managed entirely by women staff.

Additionally, 15 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), comprising approximately 1,500 personnel, were stationed across all polling booths, working alongside Assam Police to maintain law and order during the voting process.

The five constituencies involved in the bypolls had varied political representation. While the Congress held one of the seats, the remaining four were represented by the BJP-led alliance. Presently, the BJP holds 61 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly, with its allies AGP and UPPL contributing an additional 14 seats. On the other hand, the opposition's strength includes 26 Congress members, 15 from AIUDF, 3 from BPF, and 1 from CPI(M), with one Independent legislator.

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