PM to vote in Assam

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is among the over nine million people who are eligible to vote Thursday for Assam's six Lok Sabha seats. The day began with enthusiastic voters turning up early at polling booths.

The prime minister and his wife Gursharan Kaur are listed in the Dispur legislative assembly constituency that comes under Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency and they will cast their votes at Dispur Government HS School polling centre.

The final phase of polls for six Lok Sabha constituencies - Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Gauhati, Nowgong, Mangaldai and Barpeta - saw voters queuing at polling stations since early morning.

Officials said around 17 percent of the electorate had cast their vote in the first two hours.

Polling for the eight Lok Sabha constituencies out of total 14 Lok Sabha constituencies has already been completed in Assam in two phases.

The first phase covered five Lok Sabha seats, recording over 78 percent of polling, while the second phase of polling that covered three constituencies recorded over 75 percent polling.

Voting is taking place at around 12,000 polling stations where over 45,000 poll officials have been deployed.

Election officials said that 492 companies of paramilitary forces, state police and Home Guards have been deployed.