Guwahati civic polls underway, around 30% ballots cast till 1 p.m.

Voting for the 60-seat Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) is underway on Friday with around 30 per cent ballots cast till 1 p.m.

At least 197 candidates from 57 wards are in the fray in the election which is being held after a gap of nine years.

Officials of the State Election Commission said that no untoward incident has been reported so far since balloting began at 7.30 a.m. Voting will end at 4.30 p.m.

Electronic Voting Machines are being used in the politically important elections.

Besides the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded 40 candidates, giving added importance to the polls.

After its win in the recent Punjab Assembly elections and buoyed by its first taste of success in two municipal wards in Lakhimpur and Tinsukia districts in last month's civic polls, the AAP is seeking to expand its base in Assam and in the northeastern region.

The political parties both national and local, have gone all out to woo the people promising a flood-free, crime-free and development centric city with piped water to all households besides availability of all other basic civic amenities.

Meanwhile, BJP candidates in three wards have already been elected unopposed.

The BJP had given seven seats to its ally, Asom Gana Parishad.

Altogether 7,96,829 voters including 3,99,911 females and 27 belonging to the third gender are eligible to exercise their franchise.

The votes will be counted on April 24.

--IANS

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