GUWAHATI, April 8: The stage is set for Assam to vote on Thursday with election authorities across districts completing final preparations by Wednesday evening.
Electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been distributed across the polling centres; polling personnel deployed in both near and remote areas, while security arrangements have been made to ensure smooth and peaceful polling.
Notably, as many as 1,51,132 polling personnel have been deployed for the conduct of the election.
For polling purposes, 41,320 ballot units, 43,975 control units and 43,997 VVPAT machines have been arranged, including reserves for emergency use. Additional polling personnel have also been kept in readiness, if required.
Many polling and presiding officers have had to undertake arduous journeys to reach remote polling stations on Wednesday.
Among them include officers deployed in Chamaria constituency who had to take a bus trip to Alikash Parghat on the banks of the Brahmaputra before boarding mechanised boats to cross the river and access interior char (sandbar) areas.
The final stretch involved travelling by tractors across sandy terrain to reach 21 designated polling stations situated in char areas, including Batashidia, Kalatoli, Duramari, Salmara and Balagaon.
In western Assam’s Dhubri district, election officials have rolled out 1,548 polling stations to cover every corner, from bustling towns to far-flung river islands. Out of them, 285 stations are located in remote ‘char’ areas, reachable only by boats over the Brahmaputra.
In the river island of Majuli, polling personnel travelled to five polling centres of the Ahatguri area, travelling by boat through Shikari ghat along with EVMs (EVM), overcoming the challenges of the river trip.
Meanwhile, districts in the state are gearing up to achieve maximum voter participation with poll material distribution underway smoothly and efficiently.
In Jorhat, voter awareness leaflets are being distributed through newspaper inserts- reaching households and encouraging everyone to take part in the democratic process.
Polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies will be held in a single phase on Thursday.
As many as 722 candidates are in the fray in this election, and a total of 2,50,54,463 electors will exercise their franchise. This includes 1,25,31,552 male voters, 1,25,22,593 female voters, and 318 voters in the transgender category. There are 63,423 service voters as well.
Among the electorate, 6,42,314 voters are in the age group of 18–19 years, 2,50,006 are above 80 years of age, and 2,05,085 are persons with disabilities.
