Page 29 - Assam

Lok Sabha polls: 77.35% turnout in second phase in 5 seats in Assam

An estimated 77.35 per cent of 77.26 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of polling in five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam, election officials said on Saturday. The final polling percentage could be further revised as the compilation of figures is yet to be completed, an official said. Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest voter turnout of 80.56 per cent, followed by 78.41 per cent in Darrang-Udalguri, 75.97 per cent in Silchar (SC), 75.63 per cent in Karimganj and 73.11 per cent in Diphu, they said. Sixty-one candidates are in the fray in this phase. Assam Transport Minister Parimal Suklabaidya is pitted against Surya Kanta Sarkar of the Congress in Silchar, while BJP's Amarsing Tisso is contesting against Congress's Joyram Engleng in Diphu. Nagaon's sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi is contesting against BJP's Suresh Bora, while Karimganj's BJP MP Kripanath Malla is pitted against Congress's Hafiz Ahmed Rashid Choudhury. In Darrang-Udalg

No talks with Centre on relocating Chakma, Hajong refugees in state: CM

The central government has not discussed anything over the relocation of Chakma and Hajong refugess in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on Tuesday. His statement comes following Union minister Kiren Rijiju's remarks that there has been talks to relocate these refugees from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam after the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). "I don't know what Rijiju has said, but the government of India has not discussed these matters with us. Rijiju might have perhaps said something in view of the political situation in Arunachal Pradesh," Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of a poll campaign meeting. The CM also maintained that there is no land available to re-settle the refugees and added, "No one from Chakma or Hajong communities has met me nor has the government of India discussed it with me. I will speak with Rijiju about the matter after the elections." Sarma said Assamese people residing in Arunachal Pradesh, numbering about ...

Citizenship, connectivity, unemployment key issues in Assam's Barak Valley

Citizenship, unemployment, poor infrastructure and lack of proper connectivity with the rest of the country are the major issues being highlighted by candidates contesting in the two Lok Sabha constituencies - Silchar (SC) and Karimganj - in Assam's Barak Valley, bordering Bangladesh. Thirty-two candidates are in the fray in the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Barak Valley which will go to the polls on April 26. In these two constituencies in the valley, which gets its name from River Barak, the ruling BJP first made inroads winning both seats in 1991 and 1996 when the party had practically no organisational base in the state. In Silchar, the contest is likely to be among BJP's candidate and Assam minister Parimal Suklabaidya, Congress's Surya Kanta Sarkar and AITC's Radheyshyam Biswas, a former AIUDF MP from neighbouring Karimganj. In Karimganj, a close contest is expected between BJP's sitting MP Kripanath Malla, Congress candidate Hafiz Ahmed Rashid Choudhury and AIUDF's Sahabul

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Tripura logs highest voter turnout, Bihar lowest

Phase 1 of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 saw 62.37% voter turnout; Tripura recorded 80.17%, while Bihar saw a low of 48.50%. Polling was reported across 17 states and UTs

Boys outshine girls in class 10 board exam in Assam, pass rate at 75.7%

Boys outshone girls in the class 10 board examinations in Assam, results of which were declared on Saturday. The overall pass percentage in the High School Leaving Certificate (HSCL) examination held in February-March this year was 75.7 per cent, the Board of Secondary Education, Assam, (SEBA) said. The total percentage was an improvement over the last two years, with the pass percentages in 2022 and 2023 being 56.4 per cent and 72.6 per cent respectively. A total of 4,19,078 students, comprising 1,87,904 boys, 2,31,164 girls and 10 transgenders, had appeared in the examination. The pass percentage among boys was 77.3 per cent, girls 74.4 per cent and transgenders 80 per cent. Chirang district had the highest pass percentage at 91.2 per cent, while the lowest of 60.9 per cent was in Udalguri district. The SEBA also announced the top three rank holders, with three students sharing the third position. Anurag Doloi of Pragya Academy Senior Secondary School topped the list, scoring

LS polls Highlights: Nearly 60% polling till 5 pm in phase one, says EC

General Elections 2024 news updates: Catch all the news updates on the announcements related to Lok Sabha polls here

Lok Sabha polls: Unemployment key issue for Assam's first-time voters

Unemployment is the primary concern for Assam's first-time voters in addition to other national and state issues including inflation, GDP, infrastructure development, foreigners' problem, and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Talking to PTI, youths flagged a host of issues from local college and university matters to broader national concerns, emphasising their intention to vote based on candidates' manifestos. "We have seen that the ruling parties are carrying out development works. But I want to say that development is an ongoing process and it should continue forever. I believe that the most important issue is the foreigners problem," said Arunav Dutta, the general secretary of Jagannath Barooah College Students' Union. The related issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 is also very important nowadays and first-time voters are aware of the "consequences" of this law, he added. "Moreover, the unemployment issue is very important for us. Price rise of various essential item

Battleground 2024: In Bengal's tea belt, climate and politics boil over

As BJP, TMC fight for dominance, tea gardens hope for a change in the weather and, perhaps, their fortunes

Lok Sabha elections: Assam's Dibrugarh welcomes infra push but awaits jobs

Most of the young residents are voicing their frustration over lack of jobs, despite the rapid infrastructure growth in and around Dibrugarh

LS polls: Small tea growers fight for land rights in Assam's Lakhimpur

It has been a single-point agenda for small tea growers in Assam's Lakhimpur district, along the border with Arunachal Pradesh, before every government for several years allotment of garden land in their names. The repeated pleas have so far not yielded any positive result, though they remain hopeful whenever an election approaches that their demand will finally be met by the new regime. "Most of the areas under tea cultivation here fall under the tribal belt. And hence, we are not getting allotment. We have been repeatedly urging the government to de-notify the area or make provisions for allotment for us as the tribal population in this part is not even 10 per cent," Jatin Chandra Bora, advisor, Lakhimpur District Small Tea Growers Association, said. Mentioning specifically about Bholabari, Dhalpur, Rajgarh, Rangoti and Simojluguri panchayats in western part of Lakhimpur, he said, "As per information from the office of the deputy director of economics and statistics, these ...

Watch: PM Modi playing traditional instrument during rally in Assam | Lok Sabha Election 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries his hands on a traditional instrument during his public rally in Nalbari, Assam.

LS polls: 15 'crorepati' candidates in fray for five seats in Assam

Of the 35 candidates in the fray for the five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam going to the polls on April 19, fifteen are 'crorepati' with the richest being independent woman candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury from the Kaziranga seat. The five Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls on April 19 are Jorhat, Kaziranga, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur. Five BJP candidates, three of Congress, two of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), one each of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Bharatiya Gana Parishad (BGP) and three independents have assets over Rs one crore, according to the affidavits filed by candidates. The average assets of AAP candidates are the highest at Rs six crore, followed by the BJP candidates at over Rs four crore, the Congress at Rs three crore, the AITC and the BGP at Rs one crore each. Independent candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury who owns fuel stations has total assets of over Rs 17.58 crore, comprising Rs 4.65 crore as movable and Rs 12.92 crore as immovable

Lok Sabha elections: Different party, but same Dibrugarh seat for Sonowal

When the BJP won the Assembly elections again in 2021, Himanta Biswa Sarma succeeded Sonowal, who was sent to the Rajya Sabha and inducted in the Union Cabinet

LS polls: Cong will raise tea workers' wages in Assam, says Priyanka Gandhi

Leading a roadshow in support of party candidate Gaurav Gogoi in Jorhat district of Assam, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday said daily wages of tea garden workers will be hiked if the opposition alliance wins the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a huge crowd while taking part in a roadshow here, she claimed the ruling party also wants to "change" the Constitution and if that happens, the common people of the country will suffer the most. "When I came to Assam and visited tea gardens before assembly polls 2-3 years ago, I had promised to raise the wages if Congress formed the government. But you chose BJP and the wages were not raised from around Rs 250. "I am again telling you that our manifesto has guaranteed to increase the wages of tea garden workers if we form the government at the Centre," Vadra said. She also claimed that the ruling party will "change" the Indian Constitution if it returns to power for the third term and the common people will suffer t

Nomination process for 4 Assam Lok Sabha seats in third phase begins

The nomination process for four Lok Sabha constituencies, including Guwahati, in Assam going to polls in the third phase began on Friday, the Election Commission said. The process started with issuance of the notification for the third phase across the country. Voting in Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar (ST) constituencies will take place in the third phase on May 7. As per the notification, the last date of filing nomination is April 19, while the scrutiny of the same will be done the next day. The last day for withdrawal of candidature has been fixed on April 22. The counting of votes will take place on June 4 along with the rest of the country. In the high-profile Guwahati constituency, BJP's new face Bijuli Kalita Medhi, who is a vice president of Assam BJP and the former president of the party's women wing in the state, is likely to have a direct contest with Congress first-timer Mira Barthakur Goswami, the president of Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress. From the ruling

CAA unacceptable to Assam's indigenous people: AJP chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi

The indigenous people of Assam can never accept the CAA, which will be a critical issue in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, asserted Dibrugarh parliamentary constituency's opposition candidate Lurinjyoti Gogoi. The illegal influx of foreigners has been a long-standing cause for concern in Assam, and the BJP has now legalised it with this act, which is unacceptable to the people, Gogoi told PTI in an interview, amid campaigning here. "Assam has borne the burden of illegal foreigners till 1971, and now, another 43 years till 2014 has been added to it, he said. "How can the people accept this? There was a long-drawn agitation in the state against illegal influx and with the CAA, the identity of the Assamese is at stake, Gogoi claimed. The United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA) had announced Gogoi, the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president, as the candidate for the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat, from where Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal is contesting as a BJP nominee. The Centre had in March

Polygamy, child marriage not LS poll issues in Assam, says Assam CM Himanta

Asked if topics like polygamy or child marriage are election issues, Biswa replied in negative

LS polls: Assam CEO issues notice to Cong over model code violation charges

The Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued notice to the Congress on allegation of violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), raised by the BJP. A complaint was filed by the BJP on Monday, alleging that the Congress 'guarantee cards', which are being distributed house-to-house, were in violation of the MCC. The CEO issued a show-cause notice to the state Congress president on Monday evening, seeking a response within 2 pm of April 11. "Whereas on the basis of a prima facie scrutiny, it appears that these Guarantee Cards bearing the Symbol and Photographs of Star Campaigners of your party are violative of the Model Code of Conduct guidelines," the notice said. It said the complaint by BJP stated that the 'guarantee cards' promised Rs one lakh to every educated youth in the first year and Rs one lakh per year to one female member of every poor family, without disclosing the source of funds to fulfil these promises. The CEO maintained that prima facie scrutiny indicated th

LS polls: Amit Shah to address rally, take part in roadshow in Assam today

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Assam on Tuesday to campaign for BJP Lok Sabha candidates in the state. Shah is the first prominent national leader to participate in campaigning in this North Eastern state since the announcement of the poll schedule. "Tomorrow will be in Assam to attend a mega rally in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha and a roadshow in Tinsukia (Dibrugarh Lok Sabha). Assam is set to secure Modi Ji's goal of '400 paar'. Eager to meet the state's vibrant people," Shah had posted on X on Monday evening. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will be accompanying Shah during the two campaign programmes. Shah is scheduled to address a public meeting at Chukuli Bhoria in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency in the afternoon, BJP party sources said here. Lakhimpur is held by the BJP, with incumbent MP Pradan Baruah seeking a third successive term as he is pitted against Congress candidate Uday Shankar Hazarika. The Union Home minister will also take part in a road show from Chaliha

Only one application received so far in Assam under CAA: CM Himanta

Only one application has so far been received for citizenship under the CAA in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. The lone application was made in Barak Valley, he said, without elaborating further. "The anti-CAA movement was based on lies and they (who were at the forefront) will have to answer now. So many days have passed, and only one application has been made in the state till date," Sarma said. The CM was talking to reporters after an election rally at Sonari in Sivasagar district, which comes under the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat. The Centre had last month implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. Sarma also said there will be no contest in the five constituencies going to polls in the first phase on April 19. Among the remaining ni