'Illiterate' candidate in fray for third phase of Assam polls

GUWAHATI: 132 out of 337 candidates who will be contesting in the third phase of polling in Assa, have declared their educational qualifications to be between classer 5-12 while 199 candidates have declared having an educational qualification of graduate or above, a survey by Assam Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms revealed.

While 4 candidates are Diploma holders, 1 candidate is barely literate and 1 candidate is illiterate, the survey revealed.

Notably, Binad Ali, an Independent candidate who will be contesting from Sarukhetri, is the only illiterate candidate contesting in the third phase of the polls.

According to myneta.info, Ali is a cultivator by profession.

Although a number of barely literate candidates are contesting in this year's election, Ali is the only 'illiterate' candidate who will be contesting the elections.

A total of 8 candidates having doctoral degrees are contesting in this phase of the elections in Assam.

Among those, BJP's Jalukbari candidate Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, is probably the best known.

104 (31%) candidates have declared their age to be between 25 to 40 years while 191 (57%) candidates have declared their age to be between 41 to 60 years. Meanwhile, there are 42 (12%) candidates who have declared their age to be between 61 to 80 years. 25 (7%) female candidates are contesting in the Assam assembly election 2021 Phase 3.

The second phase will be on April 1, and the third phase on April 6. The third phase of Assam elections will be held in 12 districts and 40 constituencies.

The results of the 126-member Assembly will be announced on May 2.

This is the first election in Assam since the violent anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of December 2019. Four major parties or two alliances are in the fray this time – BJP with AGP (Asom Gana Parishad), and Congress with AIUDF.

After more than a decade, the Congress party under Tarun Gogoi (elected 2001) lost elections in 2016 to the BJP. Sarbananda Sonowal took charge as the Chief Minister bringing in a change of power.

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