GUWAHATI: Electioneering came to an end in Assam for the second phase of Lok Sabha election to be held on April 18. Polling will be held in five Lok Sabha Constituencies of Karimganj, Silchar, Autonomous District, Mangaldoi and Nowgong (Nagaon).
There are 50 candidates in the fray in the second phase polling in the five constituencies in Assam including three women, 19 Independents.
Total 6910592 voters comprising of 3554460 males, 3355952 females and 180 voters in Third Gender category are eligible to cast their votes in this phase of election in Assam.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the second phase of election in Assam. The polling will be held in 8922 polling stations across the five constituencies comprising total 39 Legislative Assembly segments.
Karimganj Lok Sabha seat is now in the grab of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) while Congress is holding Silchar and Autonomous District Constituencies. Mangaldoi and Nowgong constituencies are now being held by the BJP.
There will be a three-cornered contest in Karimganj among AIUDF, Congress and the BJP in Karimganj while sitting Congress MP, Sushmita Dev is facing a tough challenge from BJP candidate Dr Rajdeep Roy in prestigious Silchar constituency.
The BJP has fielded one of its youth leaders, Dilip Kumar Saikia in Mangaldoi instead of the sitting party MP, Ramen Deka. Saikia fighting basically against Congress veteran Bhubaneswar Kalita.
In Nowgong, the BJP has fielded another youth leader, Rupak Sharma instead of the sitting MP and minister of state for railway Rajen Gohain. The BJP candidate’s closest rival is Congress candidate and former minister of Assam, Pradyut Bardoloi.