Half of Assam by-poll voters cast ballot

The by-poll to the three legislative assembly constituencies in Assam Saturday recorded close to 50 percent voter turnout by early afternoon. The polling was peaceful across the three constituencies.

Assam Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, P.K. Doley, said that the overall the turnout was 47.33 percent.

While Silchar assembly constituency recorded 43 percent polling, Lakhipur recorded 45 percent polling so far. Jamunamukh on the other hand recorded the highest -- 54 percent -- of the three constituencies, he said.

Technical snags in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were reported from two polling stations in Silchar and one polling station in Lakhipur constituency. In Jamunamukh constituency too, snags had been reported from EVMs in two polling stations.

Those, however, were replaced and polling started after some time, Doley said.

The bypoll for Silchar was necessitated after Congress legislator Sushmita Dev's election to the Lok Sabha.

The Lakhipur seat fell vacant after the death of sitting legislator and former minister Dinesh Prasad Goala, while the Jamunamukh seat was vacated by AIUDF leader Sirajuddin Ajmal after he got elected to the Lok Sabha from Barpeta.

As many as 25 candidates are in the fray - 12 are contesting in Silchar, five in Lakhipur and eight in Jamunamukh.

A total of 509,689 electors, including 244,543 women, are eligible to cast their votes in 588 polling stations in Saturday's bypolls.

While there are 206,573 voters in Silchar constituency, including 101,686 females, there are 137,398 eligible electors, including 65,598 women, in Lakhipur constituency.

In Jamunamukh assembly constituency, there are 165,718 eligible voters out of which 77,259 are women.

Besides this, there are 1,456 service voters in the three legislative assembly constituencies.

A total of 16 additional companies of security forces have been deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of the polls in the three legislative assembly constituencies.