Assam Assembly Election 2021: Campaigning ends for second phase of polls

Picture credit: ANI

Guwahati: The second phase of Assam assembly polls, spearheaded by an array of national and state leaders, came to an end on Tuesday (March 30) evening.

This phase of the state elections will decide the fate of 345 candidates in 39 seats going to the polls on April 1.

All the 39 constituencies, spread over 13 districts of the Barak Valley, three hill districts, and parts of central and lower Assam, witnessed last-minute canvassing by candidates and their supporters.

Among the prominent BJP leaders who campaigned for candidates in the second phase are central ministers Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Narendra Tomar, Jitendra Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan among others.

The BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) are alliance partners.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who was scheduled to address election rallies at Haflong and Bokajan during the day and interact with women at Silchar was unable to reach due to inclement weather.

However, communicating with voters through a video message, he said, the party-led Grand Alliance will implement its poll promise of 'five guarantees'.

The 'five guarantees' include 'nullifying' the CAA in the state, providing five lakh government jobs to youths in five years, 200 units of free electricity, raising the daily- wage of tea garden workers from the current Rs 193 to Rs 365 and Rs 2,000 per month to homemakers.

The prominent personalities to canvass for candidates of the Grand Alliance, comprising the Congress, AIUDF, the Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF), the CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML-L), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Anchalika Gana Morcha (AGM) included Rajya Sabha MPs Mallikaarjun Kharge, Dr Nasir Hussain and Dr Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Chhatisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

While campaigning, the AIUDF highlighted the CAA and promised that it will not be implemented in Assam, besides assuring voters that the BJP's alleged polarisation tactics will not be allowed to succeed.

With the Holi festival falling during the campaign period and Assam's most important festival, 'Rongali Bihu', barely a fortnight away, the timing helped the contestants to reach out to voters with many smearing supporters with colours, dancing to the tune of Bihu songs and campaign songs of political parties.

The Congress is contesting in 27, its partners the AIUDF in eight and BPF in four.
The newly formed Assam Jatiya Parishad is contesting in 17 seats while 174 independents are also in the fray.

A total electorate of 73,44,631, including 37,34,537 males, 36,09,959 females and 135 of the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise in 10,592 polling stations in the second phase.