GUWAHATI :

 

AN ESTIMATED 85.64 per cent voter turnout was recorded as polling ended at 5 PM on Thursday in all 126 Assembly constituencies of Assam, surpassing the previous 82.04 per cent voting in the 2021 elections, officials said. Keralam crossed the voter turnout of 78 per cent by 5 pm, as polling concluded in 140 Assembly constituencies whereas polling for the 30-member Puducherry Assembly concluded amid tight security, with the Union Territory recording an impressive 89.87 per cent, highest since 1964. The BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power in Assam, while the Congress is striving to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago. Dalgaon recorded the highest voting at 94.57 per cent, while the lowest turnout was in Amri at 70.40 per cent, they said. A total of 722 candidates are in the fray in this single-phase election, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the Opposition bloc helmed by the Congress. Votes were cast at 31,490 polling stations across 35 districts of the State, with polling commencing at 7 am and continuing till 5 pm, the officials said. Around 30 people were injured and seven arrested in connection with poll-related violence in Assam on Thursday, officials said. A senior police officer said that the Congress candidate in Patharkandi constituency in Sribhumi district, Kartik Sena Sinha, allegedly entered the Rangamati polling booth and started an argument with the presiding officer. “He claimed fake electors cast genuine people’s votes.

 

When the presiding officer denied the charge, he broke the EVM. Following this, supporters of Congress and the BJP started a fight,” he added. Sinha is locked in a direct contest with Assam minister and BJP candidate Krishnendu Paul. “In the clash, around 25 people were injured, of whom two are serious. They have been sent to Karimganj Civil Hospital for treatment,” the officer said. Sribhumi Senior Superintendent of Police Leena Doley reached the spot and reviewed the situation. Voting was halted at the polling station for about three hours due to the disturbances. It resumed after election officials replaced the EVM. In another incident, three leaders of Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) were injured in a clash with BJP supporters at Khowang constituency in Dibrugarh district. Besides, minor clashes have also been reported in many polling booths across several districts after voting began in the morning, with people suffering minor injuries. In another incident, some members of a political party were attacked in Sivasagar, Singh said. The crucial elections in Keralam will decide whether the ruling LDF will get a straight third term, or if the UDF makes a comeback, or if BJP springs a surprise in an otherwise bipolar battle. Constituency-wise, Kunnathunad topped with 81.99 pc.

 

The lowest turnout came in Kaduthuruthy with 66.81 per cent. Voting began at 7 am across all constituencies in Puducherry and proceeded smoothly through the day, with enthusiastic participation reported from Puducherry and its enclaves of Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam. A total of 9.5 lakh voters were eligible to vote, spread across 23 constituencies in Puducherry. In Puducherry, a robot carrying a plate of flower petals welcomed voters at a model polling booth. Moving along the corridor, the robot greeted visitors. The election witnessed a multi-cornered contest, though the principal fight remained between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the All India N.R. Congress (AINRC), and the opposition INDIA bloc comprising the Congress, DMK, and VCK. Adding to the political dynamics was the entry of actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which generated significant interest among voters. Actor-director Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) also fielded candidates, aiming to expand its regional footprint.