31 lakh Muslims to decide fate of 54 candidates in Phase-III of Assam election

Guwahati, April 22, 2019:

Electioneering has officially come to an end and people of Assam will head for the third and final round of voting in four key Lok Sabha Constituencies - Gauhati, Dhubri, Barpeta, and Kokrajhar on 23 April. Polling will begin early in the morning at 7 am and the fate of 54 candidates will be decided by the electors in the Lower Assam constituencies where the Muslim community is expected to play a major role.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is expected to play a major role in influencing the 'minority' voters and it is widely believed that the Muslim community will vote against the Bill, which seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim 'persecuted minorities' from neighboring Islamic-majority countries.

Meanwhile, intellectuals such as Hiren Gohain have urged people to vote for the "winning candidate", which implies that the intellectual community of Assam is favoring the Congress party.

The AIUDF, meanwhile, has slammed the Congress for its 'dual stand' on the Bill as Congress' Sushmita Dev has favored the implementation of the Bill in the Barak valley which is predominantly populated by Bengali Hindus.