Inclement weather disrupted the last day of campaigning by political parties for the third phase of polling in Assam on Sunday. Several parts of the state witnessed rain and heavy winds. According to the Guwahati meteorological office, most parts of Assam are expected to experience light to moderate rain, thunderstorms with lightning, and gusty winds for the next five days.
Voting will take place in four Lok Sabha seats in the state – Guwahati, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, and Barpeta – on Tuesday. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had to cancel a public meeting at Mancachar in Dhubri due to his helicopter being unable to take off from Guwahati, media reports said.
Of the four seats, the BJP is contesting from Guwahati, while its ruling partner, Asom Gana Parishad, is contesting the Barpeta and Dhubri seats. Another ruling partner, United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) is contesting the Kokrajhar seat.
In 2019, the BJP’s Queen Oja won Guwahati, the Congress’s Abdul Khaleque won Barpeta, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) president Badruddin Ajmal won from Dhubri for a third term, and Independent Naba Sarania won from Kokrajhar for the second time.
Forty-seven candidates are in the fray in the four seats going to polls on Tuesday.
In Guwahati, with eight candidates, the main contest is between the BJP’s Bijuli Kalita Medhi and the Congress’s Mira Borthakur Goswami. Barpeta, with 14 candidates, is witnessing the main contest between the Congress’s Deep Bayan, the AGP’s Phani Bhushan Choudhury, and the CPI(M)’s Manoranjan Talukdar.
Dhubri, with 13 candidates, also has a main triangular contest between the AIUDF’s Badruddin Ajmal, the Congress’s Rakibul Hussain, and AGP candidate Jabed Islam. In Kokrajhar, with 12 candidates, the main contest is expected between the UPPL’s Joyanta Basumatary and the Bodoland Peoples Front’s Khampa Borgoyari.
Voting for 10 of the state’s 14 seats took place in the first two phases on April 19 and 26.