Assam assembly polls: 323 candidates in fray for 40 seats in third phase

Altogether 323 candidates are

in the fray for 40 constituencies going to the polls in the third and final phase in Assam on April 6, for which the last date of withdrawal of nomination was Monday, officials said.

Of the 362 candidates who filed their nominations, the papers of 17 were rejected while 22 withdrew their candidatures, a spokesperson of the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer said.

The prominent candidates in the fray in the third phase are BJP ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma (Jalukbari), Siddhartha Bhattacharya (Gauhati East), Chandra Mohan Patowary (Dharampaur), BJP state president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, AGP minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury (Bongaigaon), BPF ministers Pramila Rani Brahma (Kokrajhar East) and Chandan Brahma (Sidli).

Sitting BJP MLAs Atul Bora (Dispur), Suman Haripriya (Hajo), sitting Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed and former AGP MLA Kamala Kalita from Chaygaon, and Assam Jatiya Parishad working president Pabindra Deka (Pathacharkuchi) are also in the fray in the third phase.

Kokrajhar's Lok Sabha MP Naba Kumar Sarania is fighting the polls from Barama as an Independent.

In the second phase on April 1, 345 candidates have filed nominations for 39 constituencies, while for the first on March 27, there are 267 candidates contesting.