Assam gears up for third phase of Lok Sabha polls in 4 seats

Preparations are in place for the third and final phase of polling in four Assam Parliamentary constituencies on Tuesday, which will decide the fate of 54 candidates in fray.

An electorate of 77,0622, including 38,15,335 male, 36,61,570 women and 157 of the third gender, will exercise their franchise in 9,577 polling booths, Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Sahu told PTI.

Tight security arrangements have been made across the four constituencies -- Dhubri, Kokrajhar (ST), Barpeta and Gauhati, to ensure smooth conduct of polling, he said.

Altogether 200 companies of security forces, both central and state, have been deployed, along with a minimum of one constable in every polling station, Sahu said.

Patrolling along the Indo-Bangla border in Dhubri constituency, borders with neighbouring states, railway stations and other sensitive areas have been intensified, while strict monitoring of social media and cyber-related crimes is being done at the district level, police said.

A total of 38,308 polling personnel have been deployed in the third phase, Sahu said.

There are 524 remote polling stations in the last phase, with Dhubri having the highest of 314, followed by 140 in Barpeta and 70 in Gauhati. Kokrajhar has no remote polling stations.

Beside buses, the polling personnel are using boats to reach inaccessible areas on the river banks along with bullock carts, officials said.

District election officers have also made special arrangements for people with disabilities and senior citizens, particularly those above the age of 80, Sahu said.

There are 147 all-women polling stations in the four constituencies, with Gauhati having the highest of 79 booths.

There are a total of 125 model stations in the four seats.

Prominent candidates in fray are two sitting MPs -- AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal in Dhubri and Independent Naba Sarania in Kokrajhar, state social welfare minister Pramila Rani Brahma of BPF from Kokrajhar and Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque.

Gauhati has 17 candidates in fray, including five women, with the contest likely to be direct between two women candidates -- BJP's Queen Oja and Congress's Bobbeeta Sharma.

In Dhubri, there are 15 candidates with the fight likely to be triangular between sitting AIUDF MP Badruddin Ajmal, AGP's Zabed Islam and Congress candidate Abu Taher Bepari.

There are 13 candidates in fray in Barpeta, and the contest is also expected to be triangular between Abdul Khaleque of Congress, Kumar Deepak Das of AGP and AIUDF's Rafiqul Islam.

In the Kokrajhar (ST) seat, a quadrangular fight is likely between sitting Independent candidate Naba Sarania, BPF's Pramila Rani Brahma, Congress's Sabda Rabha and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) nominee U G Brahma.