79.34 per cent votes polled in Assam in 2nd phase

An average 79.34 per cent of the 69.11 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of polling held for five parliamentary constituencies in Assam on Thursday, an election office spokesman said Friday.

Mangaldoi recorded the highest voting of 83.60 per cent followed by 83.24 in Nowgong, 79.25 per cent in Silchar, 77.47 per cent in Autonomous Districts (ST) and the lowest of 73.15 per cent in Karimganj.

Karimganj, however, recorded a high turnout of women voters, 78.27 per cent, as against 68.43 male voters in the constituency.

Nowgong had the highest women turnout of 83.60 as against 82.90 per cent while in Autonomous Districts, the turnout of men and women were almost equal at 77.37 per cent and 77.57 per cent respectively.

In Mangaldoi, male turnout was higher at 84.35 per cent as against 82.80 per cent while in Silchar, the break up among men and women is almost equal - 79.13 per cent and 79.61 per cent respectively.

The total percentage of votes polled in the first phase was 78.23 per cent for the five constituencies of Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur held on April 11.

The third and final phase of polling for four constituencies of Kokrajhar(ST), Dhubri, Barpeta and Gauhati will be held on April 23.