Voting for the first phase of the Bengal and Assam elections began for 30 and 47 seats respectively. 37 MLAs are re-contesting in the Assam phase 1 elections 2021, comprising 24 from BJP, 6 from Congress and Asom Gana Parishad and one from All India United Democratic Front. 24.48% voter turnout has been recorded till 11 am.
The important seats for in Phase 1 of assembly elections in Assam are Majuli from where state CM Sarbananda Sonowal is contesting. Hitendranath Goswami will face former MLA Rana Goswami of the Congress in Jorhat whereas Assam Congress chief Ripun Borah will face sitting BJP MLA Utpal Bora in Gohpur. Activist Akhil Gogoi who is in jail for his alleged role in the 2019 anti-CAA protests is contesting from Sibsagar. Congress’s Bhaskar Jyoti Barua face BJP’s Hemanta Kalita and both would be contesting for Titabor which was the seat that was held by Tarun Gogoi, the Chief Minister and the Congress Veteran.
In Assam, the BJP is contesting 39 of 47 seats in this phase and ally its AGP or Asom Gana Parishad is contesting 10 seats. It is important to highlight how the Congress has become a part of a ‘mahajot‘ or a grand alliance which will contest 43, with one each for the AIDUF of Badruddin Ajmal, the RJD, the AGM and the CPIML.
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Out of the 47 seats, 42 are from 11 districts of Upper Assam and North Assam, whereas five are from Central Assam’s Nagaon district. The Chief Electoral Electoral Office on March 24 commented that total of 946 candidates are going to fight the elections to the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly.
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