Nava Thukria/Guwahati:
Polling begins for seven Parliamentary constituencies of Assam, Tripura and Manipur in northeast India this morning under the second phase of 18th Lok Sabha elections. As the clock ticked past 7 am, the electoral process in Darrang-Udalguri, Diphu, Silchar, Karimganj and Nagaon seats of Assam along with Tripura East and Outer Manipur started.
North-eastern electorates along with voters from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jammu & Kashmir will give mandate to their representatives as members of the lower house of Indian Parliament through electronic voting machines and today’s process will continue till 5 pm of 26 April.
The 2nd phase of polling under the general elections witnesses 1,210 candidates representing national and regional parties (also some as independents) trying their electoral luck in 88 Parliamentary seats of 13 States and union territories. Over 60 candidates are in the fray for five Assam seats. The largest State in the region will go for the last phase of polling in four seats (Guwahati, Barpeta, Kokrajhar and Dhubri) on 7 May to complete the electoral process for 25 NE Lok Sabha seats (Assam -14, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura- 2 each and Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim- single seat each).
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put candidates in all five Parliamentary seats of Assam, where the voting process is going on. In Darrang-Udalguri seat, sitting BJP MP Dilip Saikia is primarily facing Madhav Rajbangshi (Congress) and Durgadas Boro (Bodoland Peoples' Front). Diphu seat witnesses frontal electoral fights between Amarsing Tisso (BJP) and Joy Ram Engleng (Congress). Similarly in Silchar seat, BJP nominee Parimal Suklabaidya faces Surya Kanta Sarkar (Congress) and Radheshyam Biswas (Trinamool Congress).
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put candidates in all five Parliamentary seats of Assam, where the voting process is going on. In Darrang-Udalguri seat, sitting BJP MP Dilip Saikia is primarily facing Madhav Rajbangshi (Congress) and Durgadas Boro (Bodoland Peoples' Front). Diphu seat witnesses frontal electoral fights between Amarsing Tisso (BJP) and Joy Ram Engleng (Congress). Similarly in Silchar seat, BJP nominee Parimal Suklabaidya faces Surya Kanta Sarkar (Congress) and Radheshyam Biswas (Trinamool Congress).
Congress party is expecting a good outcome in Karimganj and Nagaon seats. In Karimganj, the oldest party of India has fielded Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury against Sahabul Islam Choudhury (All India United Democratic Front) and Kripanath Malla (BJP). At the same time, sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi is seeking reelection from Nagaon, where he is challenged by Aminul Islam (AIUDF) and Suresh Borah (BJP) with others. BJP has supported Tipra Motha candidate Kriti Singh Devbarma in Tripura East seat, where she faces electoral challenges from CPI-M nominee Rajendra Reang. Similarly in Outer Manipur, the saffron party extended support to Kachui Timothy Zimik (Naga People’s Front) against Congress candidate Alfred Kanngam S Arthur.
North-eastern electorates participated in the 1st phase polling on 19 April with an impressive turnout, where Tripura West seat recorded as high as 81.51 per cent voter’s response. Meghalaya also reported equally impressive polling where Tura seat witnessed 81% voter turnout. Assam recorded over 75 % voter turnout, followed by Manipur (around 75%), Sikkim (nearly 75 %), Arunachal Pradesh (around 67 %), Nagaland (around 57 % even after six districts namely Mon, Longleng, Tuensang, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator had zero voting) and Mizoram (around 55 %).
Tamil Nadu also went to polls for all of its 39 Parliamentary seats in 1st phase. Similarly all five seats of Uttarakhand, eight out of 80 UP seats, 12 out of 25 Rajasthan seats, three constituencies in West Bengal, six in Maharashtra, four in Bihar, six in Madhya Pradesh, one each in Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Jammu & Kashmir witnessed the voting on the same day. Bihar recorded the lowest voter turnout (less than 50%) in this phase, where Uttarakhand reported around 54% turnout, Rajasthan reported over 56 %, Tamil Nadu around 70 % and Puducherry recorded over 75 % voter response. Even the violence hit Bengal reported a better turnout (over 77 %) on 19 April.
Despite relentless awareness campaigns by the Election Commission of India, various social organisations and news channels, voter turnout continues declining in mainland India. In comparison, North-eastern States did far better, thanks to a localised campaign by Lok Jagaran Mancha Asom for 100% voter turnout. The Assam-based nationalist forum launched the campaign with printed leaflets, music videos and short plays to inspire the voters to arrive at the polling booths on time and cast their votes with pride and responsibility.