20 file nomination in Assam for third phase

A total of 20 nominations were filed on Wednesday, taking the total applications to 38 in the four constituencies going to polls in the third phase on April 23, an election department communique said.

During the day, seven nominations were filed for Gauhati, five for Barpeta, four each were submitted for Kokrajhar and Dhubri Lok Sabha constituencies.

In Gauhati, Samajwadi Party's Ratul Kumar Choudhury, Hindustan Nirman Dal's Rajib Kakati, Voter's Party International's Partha Pratim Baruah and four Independents submitted their papers.

Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque, former AGP parliamentarian Kumar Deepak Das, former AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam, Bhadreswar Barman of National Republican Congress (NRC) and Rejaul Karim of Republican Party of India (A) filed their papers for the Barpeta constituency.

Kokrajhar seat saw submmission of nomination by Congress' Sabda Ram Rabha, former Rajya Sabha member Urkhao Gwra Brahma of United People's Party (Liberal), Charan Iswary of Purvanchal Janata Party (Secular) and Kamala Kanta Daimary of Trinamool Congress.

Former Independent MLA Zabed Islam filed his nomination as AGP candidate for the Dhubri seat, in which former Congress MLA Abu Taher Bepari, Hindustan Nirman Dal's Alakesh Roy and Independent Anamika Sarkar too submitted their papers.

The Election Commission has fixed April 4 as the last date of nominations, April 5 for scrutiny and April 8 for last date of withdrawal for the third phase.

The three-phase voting in Assam will take place on April 11, 18 and 23, while the counting of votes will be on May 23 after completion of the entire seven-phase voting across the country.