Assam Lok Sabha elections 2024: Over 74 per cent polling for 4 LS seats till 5 PM

Over 74 per cent of the 81.49 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 5 pm on Tuesday in four Lok Sabha constituencies in the third and final phase of elections in Assam, an official said.

Dhubri recorded the highest polling percentage at 79.70, followed by Barpeta at 76.20, Kokrajhar at 74.24 and Guwahati at 67.68 per cent, the lowest.

Overall voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in the four Lok Sabha seats was 74.86 per cent, the official said.

The turnout was expected to rise as people, who entered the polling stations before 5 pm, the closing time for voting, will be allowed to exercise their franchise.

There are 47 candidates in the fray in the final phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state. Altogether 81,49,091 voters, including 40,48,436 women and 111 belonging to the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise in 9,516 polling stations. 

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Voting, which began at 7 pm, was slow in the initial hours due to heavy rain in several parts of the constituencies but picked up as the day progressed.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and daughter Sukanya Sarma cast their votes at the Amingaon High School under the Barpeta constituency. 

The prominent candidates in the fray are AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, seeking a fourth successive term from Dhubri, and his rival Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain. Eight-time Asom Gana Parishad MLA and former minister Phanibhushan Choudhury and his rivals CPI(M) legislator Manoranjan Talukdar and Congress candidate Deep Bayan from Barpeta are also contesting. 

Former BTC Deputy leader Kampa Borgoyary of the Bodo Peoples' Front and his rivals - United People's Party, Liberal (UPPL) Joyanta Basumatary and Congress candidate Garjen Mushahry are fighting in Kokrajhar. Dhubri has the highest number of electors at 26,63,987, while Kokrajhar has the lowest at 14,94,404 in this phase.