85% polling in Assam, one killed in clash

A record 85 per cent of the electorate voted today in the second and final phase of Assembly elections for 61 seats in Assam which was trouble- free barring a clash in Barpeta.
One person was killed and three others were injured in a clash between security forces and voters at Barpeta, while CRPF fired in the air following 'misbehaviour' by a man in uniform with a pregnant woman in Kamrup district.
"As per the reports received till 5 PM, 82.02 per cent of voting had taken place. However, as a large number of voters were still standing in queue at 5 PM, the final polling percentage is likely to go to approximately 85 per cent," the Election Department said in a statement.

The first phase of polling in the state on April 4 had witnessed an 82.20 per cent voter turnout in 65 of the 126 Assembly constituencies spread across upper Assam, two hill districts and Barak Valley.
"The voters have responded enthusiastically to the appeal of the Election Commission of India and have registered a record turnout. The CEO, Assam has expressed his gratitude to the voters," the statement said.
The authorities have recommended re-polling at Kachugaon ME School under Gossaigaon constituency "due to technical problem", it said adding the authorities replaced 191 EVMs though there were no interruptions to the exercise.

In Barpeta, one person was killed and three others, including two CRPF personnel, were injured following a clash between the central force and voters in Sorbhog constituency over forming a queue for casting vote, the statement said.

In another incident, CRPF fired in the air at a polling station at Chaygaon in Kamrup district following agitation by people after a jawan of the central force allegedly "misbehaved" with a pregnant voter.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who represented Assam in the Rajya Sabha for 15 years, came from Delhi to cast his vote at the Dispur Government High School here.

Ace boxer Shiva Thapa came along with his family to cast his vote.
The electoral fate of cabinet ministers Rakibul Hussain, Chandan Sarkar and Nazrul Islam from Congress, former Chief Minister and AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and BJP national spokesman Sidhartha Bhattacharya were sealed today.
Former Congress minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who led a dissidence movement against Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi before joining BJP in 2015, is also in the fray in this phase.
For the first time, a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine was introduced in 10 constituencies, including all those in Guwahati.